Time Changes Everything
by Mandy M Dee
Summary: In highschool the six of them were happier then ever. A series of events changed everything. How will things resolve when those who moved away many years ago return? How will everyone deal with the changes, the past, and worst of all the truth?
1. Runaway

The sound of Wedding Bells rang in the air. There were hundreds of cars parked in the parking lot near the St. Mary's church. Inside it was packed with men, women, and children. They all waited anxiously for the bride to come walking through the doors and down that long aisle and marry one of the most wanted bachelors in all of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jerry Benson was his name, and he was an extremely handsome man. Dark locks of hair covered his tan head. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green and were an absolutely memorizing. He stood with a big smile on his face, taking deep breathes, just waiting until he would see his bride. His palms were sweaty and he kept wiping them on his pants. He looked over his shoulder to see his best man and best friend, Alex, gave him a thumbs up and a wink. He returned the wink and looked at the doors. And waited...

Outside the church a man and his wife walked by, hand in hand, smiling at the site and sounds of a wedding.

"Some ones getting married." The wife smiled.

The two looked on at the beautiful church and the wife jumped when the doors swung open and out ran a frantic bride. Still in her wedding gown she ran down the stairs as quickly as she could with her heals on and took off running down the street. The wife let out a gasp as they continued to watch the bride running for the nearest bus stop.

She ran as she felt the tears starting to form in her eyes. She had to hurry, she could not miss this bus. If she did, she would defiantly be screwed. A whole 400 people were back at the church waiting for her to walk down that aisle and there she was running for a bus.

"Brooke! Brooke wait!" she herd a familiar voice behind her.

She rolled her eyes but didn't look back, she just kept on running.

"Brooke! God dammit Brooke I'm on the track team if you forgot, and you run like a damn chicken, and it doesn't matter you got a head start, and it doesn't even matter about what I'm wearing because even in these damn shoes I can still run faster then you."

"I forgot how much you talk."

"Thank god, gosh If I didn't know any better I'd say your pulling a Julia Roberts and being a runaway bride."

"Alexa." Brooke started sadly.

" you forgot this." Alexa handed Brooke, her purse which included her license, credit cards, and cash. "Didn't mother ever tell you never to leave the house without your purse?" she joked.

"What are you doing?"

"I've told you from the beginning Brooke, you and Jerry just didn't make sense. I mean I got to admit you finally realizing that now, three minutes before you had to walk down the aisle is kind of shitty but hey better late then never."

"Tell that to Jerry and my family." she sighed. "But Thank you Alexa. Please tell him how sorry I am-"

"Woah, what do you mean me tell him? Brooke I'm going with you."

"Um, no you aren't."

"Brooke, I'm not letting you go alone. You can whine and yell all you want but the fact is, that bus is going to be getting here any minute, and when you don't walk down that aisle they are going to be looking for you , and you can either agree to let me come and we can be out of here before they find you, or we can continue to argue, let them find us, and you be in a shit load of trouble. You decide."

Brooke through her hands up in frustration.

"Fine."

Alexa let her lips curve into a smile.

"Okay then, lets go sis."

Together they ran and barely made the bus. OF course they got lots of looks, and whispers from all over but they just ignored it. Being who they were they were used to the attention. They took a seat in the back and sat in silence. They just rode the bus not really sure of where to go, not really sure what the hell they were going to do. They were just going to let the bus control their new location.

Brooke shook off the urge to cry and kept telling herself she did the right thing, just at the wrong time. She felt awful about hurting Jerry, and her family. But she just couldn't do it. She didn't love him. She just did not love him.

She looked over to see Alexa's eyes lids getting heavy and her trying to avoid falling asleep. Brooke smiled, besides the fact she was the complete opposite of her and she was eleven years younger , for the past six years she was Brooke's best friend. Her rock, the one person she could count on almost everything for.

When Brooke graduated high school she just wanted to get away. So when her mother told her, her father and her were divorcing and Brooke's mother was moving to charlotte Brooke jumped at the chance to go with her. Without a good bye to anyone she left within a week and started to make her new life in Charlotte. New town, New Brooke..Well sort of.

Brooke loved her new life, she was dating, making new and fabulous friends, even her mother and her were getting along great. Then one Monday afternoon Brooke's mother, Mary, announced she was in love and was getting married. Not only was Brooke going to have a new dad, but a new sister as well. Brooke wasn't pleased because she her mother had a bad habit of acting on impulse and regretting the decision later. But she swallowed her opinion and met her new family. As soon as she saw young Alexa her heart absolutely melted. She was in ripped jeans, a big tee shirt, and a baseball cap. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail and she had a angry look on her face.

After that they were hardly apart. The two grew to be best friends, despite the age difference. They grew to be sisters, and Brooke never let anyone in as she did with Alexa and Alexa had a very dark childhood. It was hard for her to open up, and Alexa struggled at first making friends, she was always picking a fight, always in trouble, it was Brooke who helped her.

The two saved each other, as they always liked to say.

Brooke jumped up and looked out the window. She had fallen asleep and it was now very dark out and they were the only two on the bus. She got up and walked to the front to the bus driver.

"Um excuse me?" She asked sweetly. "Where are we?"

"Exactly where you want to be."

"Um, what?" she asked confused.

"That girl back there." he pointed to Alexa. "She told me she'd pay me extra if I Brought you here. She said it's the one place where you would want to be."

Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Oh and where is that?"

He pulled over and opened the door. "Right here."

Brooke looked over at the sign and gasped. The place she hadn't been in 10 years . The secrets she left. The friends she left. The life she left. It read...

**Welcome To Tree Hill**


	2. Peyton's One True Love

Peyton Sawyer sat at her kitchen table sketching on a pad of paper, only wearing a large tee shirt. She herd him emerging from the bathroom as he slipped his arm into the shirt caressing her breast.

"Mmmm baby, even after sex you still smell good."

"Erick will be home soon." was her response.

"So?"

"What do you mean so, Frank? You know the rules."

"Peyton, I'm tired of sneaking around. Why can't we just be us, just tell Erick."

"What that I'm sleeping with the mail man? I'm sure he'll love that."

"Peyton he's only- "

"only the single most important thing in my life. Now I told you from the beginning what this thing was. Whatever this thing between me and you is, weather you want to call it a casual fuck, or dating, or whatever I don't really give a damn because at the end of the day its Erick I care about and in the morning when I wake up , its Erick that I think about first. My first, second, and every care in the world is about him."

"Whatever." he kissed the top of her head. "I'll be over tomorrow for our casual fuck."

Peyton looked up at him.

"You might piss me the hell off goldy locks, but you're a firecracker in bed."

Peyton smiled.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

When he left Peyton took a deep breathe and started to pick up the things around the house. She got a shower and washed herself off and got dressed in her night gown. She looked at the clock, it was only eight o clock. She took a seat back at the kitchen table to finish her sketch when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Um is this the house of Peyton Sawyer?"

"Yea, yes it is. May I please ask whose calling."

"Is this Peyton Sawyer."

"Yes."

"Mrs. Sawyer im Fredrick McFally , I'm a teacher here at Tree Hill High School." Peyton gulped. A name she hadn't herd in years. Of course she thought about it everyday, but she hadn't herd it or said it out loud in nearly three or four years.

"Um yes I used to go to that school."

"I know and according to the records we are making calls out today to people of your class and years before that."

"What for?"

"I'm afraid I have bad news."

"Yes." Peyton asked shakily.

"Were you familiar with a Whitey Durham?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but he passed away two nights ago."

"What?"

"He was a very old man, and he lived a good life. I didn't know him very well, but I'm volunteering to help spread the word. There will be a funeral service in three days and we welcome all that knew him. This is going to be a huge thing Mrs. Sawyer, the mayor himself is going to speak at his funeral. It seems Whitey helped out a lot of good people and was a very good man."

"Yeah, he is, uh, was."

"Once again I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but we are spreading the word."

"I appreciate it. Um thank you."

"Your welcome, have a good night."

And that was it. She hung up the phone and felt the tears flowing. She hadn't seen that man in nearly 10-11 years and she felt even worse about that. She remembered the last time she talked to him, and it brought tears to her eyes every time. She felt lower then low at that moment, but he made it all feel better. His kind eyes and tender voice made her feel better, even if it was just for a short while he did his best to help. And he did.

Peyton looked up to see the front door open and Erick walk through the door.

"Hey baby." she smiled through tears as he took a seat on the couch next to her.

"Mom, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Her son, 10 years old sat down next to her and looked up at her with his beautiful green eyes.

"Mommy's just sad."

"Why?"

"A friend from when I was growing up died baby."

"Oh, Im sorry ." as he put a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled at him and held him in for a long hug as she kissed the top of his head. She pulled away and shook out her body and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Okay enough cry baby time. How was the baseball game with Billy."

His eyes lit up as he explained everything. From the first foul ball to the fights in the crowd, to the nacho's he had eaten. He had a huge smile on his face the whole time and she could feel her heart warming. Nothing made a mother feel better then to see her child happy. And that is just what he was. It had been tough when he was first born. She had moved away from Tree Hill a few months after graduating when she found out she was pregnant, and she just had to get away. She went with Ellie, her biological mother. At First her father was hesitant but then with a long talk with Peyton and Ellie he agreed. The two moved out to New York and got a nice tiny apartment perfect for them. Peyton knew it was going to be hard, but Ellie helped out tremendously and was there the whole time during the pregnancy and when he was born. Peyton could still remember the first moment she saw Erick. Her eyes automatically lit up and she started to cry. That was her boy, all hers. She was fine with being a single mom, she had saved up money, and her dad was sending her some every month, and even Ellie was making good money. Everything was as perfect and Peyton was actually happy, something she hadn't been in a long time.

Then _that_ day came. Only a year after Erick was born Ellie sat Peyton down and explained to her that her cancer had come back, and she only had 7 months to live. It was hard to let Ellie go, but Peyton realized that she just couldn't feel bad for herself any more, she had a child to take care of. And she found a new strength in her that she had never known before. She cried, oh boy did she cry and for a very long time. It was one of the hardest times in her life, and the one person who helped through it all, was gone.

Then she promised herself she would always be there for Erick. Always be the one he can go and talk to, always be there for him. And she was. From the scrapped knees, to the sports talk, Peyton tried to be the best mother she could. And Erick absolutely adored her.

"Mom are you even listening to me?" he interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes Erick." She smiled. "Listen go take a shower and then we can watch a movie before bed."

"Sweet!" he smiled. "Alright I love you mom."

"I love you too."


	3. Best Friends Forever

Lucas Scott walked into his mothers café with tired eyes and a heavy heart. His coach from the past, and long time friend Whitey Durham died two nights ago. It was Lucas who actually found him. The two had plans to go and see a movie and when Lucas knocked on his door, Whitey didn't answer. Lucas walked inside to see him sitting on his chair, with his glasses on holding a picture of his wife, Carmella. It was almost that he knew he was going to die. It was hard for Lucas to realize he was gone, but even more hard to realize he died all alone.

"Hey mom." Lucas yawned as he walked in and took a seat.

"Hey Luke." she kissed his cheek. "How are you holding up?"

"I'll be fine. It's just, tough."

"Death always is."

"Yea, and I feel like we've had our fair share of it."

Karen nodded and cleared her throat.

"Have you um, have you talked to Nathan?"

Lucas sighed. "No, but he knows about Whitey. But um, he's not helping with any of the funeral arrangements or anything. I mean I know how much Nathan has changed, but still, this is Whitey were talking about. You would think Nathan would show some sort of sympathy or something, I'll be surprised if he even shows up at the funeral... Selfish bastard."

"What selfish bastard are we talking about today?" a voice from behind spoke up.

Lucas turned around and smiled

"Hey Hales. Just a certain ex of yours."

"Oh. So I'm guessing Nathan still didn't call you back?"

"I left three more messages talking about how we needed some help with everything. And I got nothing."

A sad look appeared over Haley's face.

"People change Luke."

"But how? How could Nathan of turned so much like..."

"Dan." Karen finished his sentence.

"Lucas we've talked about this so many times. It just, it just happened when, well you know when. After that things just never were the same again. "

"The time when you needed him most" Lucas shook his head.

Haley shook her head in agreement.

"Okay, lets not talk about this anymore. These past days have been hard enough without taking a trip down memory lane."

Karen agreed and went in the back to start cooking them breakfast.

"I was thinking about the first time I actually had a conversation with Whitey. That changed everything, for me and you."

"Luke." Haley sighed.

"Do you ever think that we're missing out? I mean I think back to my dreams of becoming an amazing author, or a great basketball player and I never even got a chance, I never even left Tree Hill Haley. I"m just some average, mechanic, Who does the same thing every damn day. Tree Hill is just a small place in the world, and I never got out of it. Never. "

"I did. But, it almost ruined my marriage. It was a really hard thing for me to just walk away from Nathan, but touring and going to all of those different places, it was just..amazing."

"But you came home."

"For Nathan."

"To have him just walk away from you years after."

"It makes me angry Lucas. I think about it and I just want to yell, cry, and just break something. Thinking of how I'm just an average teacher, an average third grade teacher when I could have been a rock star. I mean don't get my wrong I love what I do, I love working with kids but I know I could of been something more. And thinking back on the last year with Nathan, I can't help but be angry with him, but, then again. I just, I can't blame Nathan for leaving."

"Haley."

"I pushed him away Lucas. I know I did. Something I will have to live with. So many times I just wanted to run up to him and beg him to just hold me and come home so we can work it out, but every time I saw him, I could just see how little by little he was turning into Dan. And there was nothing I could do."

Lucas brushed away tears falling from her eyes.

"Look at me Haley James. You did not push him away, you hear me? What you had to go through was something terrible. You were in a bad place, and who could blame you? But for Nathan to just walk away because things got tough, well that just shows how much of a coward he is. Do you know how hard it is for me to see him? He doesn't even acknowledge me anymore Hales. I'll tell you, it takes a lot for me to not just walk over and knock his head off."

Haley nodded.

"Okay enough of the tears. Eat up you two." Karen approached them and handed them their food.

"This looks great." Lucas smiled.

"Because it is. Now eat." Karen told them.

"Well Lucas, I know these years have been hard, but you are still the only one that was ever there for me for everything. I feel like I don't thank you enough." Haley could feel the tears starting to form. " I think about her everyday you know? I just, thank you."

Lucas pulled her in and kissed the top of her head.

"You're my best friend Hales, nothing will change that."

Haley hugged him back and felt secure. "I know.." she whispered back. "I know."


	4. Heartache,for an entire different reason

Nathan took a sip of scotch as he looked on from his balcony. He felt the wind breeze by him and took a deep breath. It was getting dark, and he had been standing out there for hours. Something he did a lot, just going over things in his head, thinking of how he got where he was today.

He was proud of himself, pretty dammed proud, and he had a right to be. From a young boy he had always been determined and hard working, it was a trait he inherited from his father. Along with his good looks, cockiness, and incredible talent at basketball. The first day Nathan picked up a basketball his father knew it was his destiny. They had trained for years, and the plan was always the same. High School, Duke, NBA.

For Nathan it was more then perfect. He had grown into an amazing basketball player and an all around ladies man. His first kiss had been at the age of 12, his first time seeing a pair of boobs, was the age of 13, and he had lost his virginity at 15. A very impressive track card, and everyone knew it. He had blown through high school not giving a damn. His father would always talk to the right people, pull some strings, and his grades were just right.

Nathan ruled the school, and he didn't have any problem showing it. Then junior year changed everything. His fathers past came back to haunt them both. Lucas Scott, Dan's first-born son, and Nathan's brother joined the basketball team. Scott's were furious, Lucas was trash, he belonged at the river court, how dare he join Nathan's team.

Nathan hated him and tried everything in his power to get him off the team, from hazing, taking his cloths while he was showering, and even kidnapping him and throwing him in some dirty water, nothing worked. So Nathan's mind took and even more evil turn. He was going to hurt Lucas where it hurt. He was going to take advantage of his best friend Haley James.

Then something happened, the cocky, asshole Nathan Scott changed dramatically. He fell in love, and so did she. Nathan grew up, and thanks to Haley got to see a whole other view on life. He was happy, really happy, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Thanks to Haley, Nathan even got a chance to be close with his brother, and the two became best friends.

Nathan took another sip of his scotch and took a deep sigh. He remembered it, he remembered it all. The best day of his life had been when Haley agreed to marry him. The two married, with Haley's parents watching, and he had never been happier. They had bumps in the marriage, as nearly anybody does. Haley left Nathan for a short period time to chase her dreams, but Haley soon realized that if she didn't have Nathan, she didn't want the music.

After she returned to two were as happy as can be. They were falling more and more in love with each other every day and cherished each other more then ever. Together they took on the world, hand in hand. Thinking that nothing could break the two apart, but then tragedy struck. They tried to bounce back; they tried to work it out. But nothing worked. Nathan could slowly feel himself changing. He could feel himself turning into the man that he once was, and he couldn't help it. Soon instead of being the loving and caring husband, he was bitter, hard to talk to, and just always angry. Within a few more months he left.

"Nathan." She spoke softly as she watched him grab his luggage. A tear fell down her cheek.

"_I'm leaving Hales."_

"_I know."_

"_You know it's for the best."_

"_The best for you?"_

"_Haley." He sighed._

"_I know you blame me Nathan. Gosh I know it, because I blame myself too, but please, we can work this out."_

"_Haley we can't."_

"_Nathan." She cried._

_He picked up his things and walked over to her, and kissed her on her cheek._

"_Goodbye Haley."_

That was the last he saw her. All those years ago and he hadn't seen her since. Of course he and Lucas tried to stay in touch, but Lucas was livid with him. And shortly after he left Haley, the phone calls from Lucas, begging him to come back, telling him they could work it out, were less frequent until he just stopped calling all together.

"You're going to catch a cold out here." A voice from behind told Nathan.

"I'm fine." He shook his head and then downed the rest of his drink. "I'm coming in anyway."

"You haven't called me back, I was worried. So I decided I'd come and see if you were still alive"

"Dad, I'm a big boy." He laughed.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to call your old man back would it? Any way I wanted to let you know I'll be here around ten on Thursday. That's the day of Whitey's funeral, we'll show are face, make the people happy, and then we'll be out of there."

"I don't really think people would want us their Dad."

"What people? You mean your disgrace of a brother, or that embarrassment of an ex wife of yours?"

"Dad." He grumbled.

"After all this time you still feel guilty, like you owe them something."

"I don't owe them anything." He spoke coolly.

"That's right you don't. Now you know damn well people in this town respect us. We own half the town Nathan. Ever since you got into business with me it's as everything we touched had turned to gold. The dealership is doing better then ever, the markets around here, the gas stations, and now that were opening up a kids hang out, we'll make a lot more on that."

"Yeah." He smiled.

"Now people are going to expect us to be there, you show up, smile and charm them like you always do, hell if you're even in the mood, pick a broad and you can take her home, you know I will." Dan laughed and smacked his son's arm.

"That's disgusting." Nathan shook his head. "Alright well I don't want it to seem like I'm kicking you out or anything but uh, get out."

Dan laughed and nodded his head. "Remember, ten o'clock, Thursday."

Nathan nodded and walked into his bedroom and checked his messages again.

"Hey Nathan, it's Lucas, again. Um… I know you know about Whitey's death Nathan, and I still haven't heard back from you, I don't know if you are coming or not." There was a long pause and then a deep breathe. "Listen Nathan, I know I haven't…we haven't talked in a long, long time but this is Whitey, Nathan. Come on, and do the right thing."

Nathan debated for a while and then picked up the phone and dialed the number and heard it ring.

"Hello?" He heard Lucas answer.

Nathan wanted to say something, he honestly did, but he just didn't know what to say, so he quickly hung up the phone and went into his living room.

Sighing as he thought about the funeral, how hard it would be for everyone to say goodbye to a man they all once loved. But for Nathan it would be harder for an entire different reason.


	5. Saved by the food

Brooke sat up and stretched real wide, and let out a loud yawn. She looked at the clock and it read, 2:45 pm.

"Damn." She muttered to herself. She looked around the room for Alexa, but noticed she was alone.

After the shock of realizing she was back in Tree Hill they bought some clothes for the night and rented a room in a nearby apartment. As soon as Brooke had the chance she scolded Alexa for pulling such a stunt. She had a past here, a past she didn't intend on confronting anytime soon.

Brooke got up and realized that Alexa was in the shower. She sighed as she looked around at the place. Alexa's clothes were everywhere, her bed covers were rolled up in a big ball, and the make up she brought with her was spread across the nightstand. Brooke loved her, but the girl was a slob!

"Alexa." She knocked on the door, "Hurry up I got to pee!" she yelled.

"It's open." Alexa yelled back.

Brooke walked in and sat on the toilet.

"So did last night really happen?" Brooke mumbled to herself. Loud enough though, for Alexa to here.

"Indeed it did missy, and by the way, you sleep like a freaking dead person. Your phone rang all night, first it was your mom, then my dad, then that lovely ex or yours, then your mom again, and finally I picked it up, said that we were okay, and you'd call them in the morning."

"Oh my god. I can't believe I did that." She put her hands in her head.

"Me either, that was really ballsy of you Brooke."

"More like bitchy, and heartless."

"Just think of it like this. Yeah right now it might suck, really really suck, but in the long run you did everyone a favor."

"How so?"

"Well you and I both know you and Jerry were defiantly not meant to be. I'm sure you guys would have been happy for a few years but eventually you'd grow to be really unhappy, and so would he. One thing would lead to another, you'd stop having sex, he'd drive you into the hands of another man, you'd drive him into the hands of another woman, you'd both find out, hate each other, break stuff, then divorce a really big messy divorce, causing pain and heartache for everyone. Something we can all live without."

Brooke chuckled; Alexa was the definite drama queen.

"Damn Brooke are you still peeing?" Alexa laughed.

"What? Oh no, I just got distracted." Brooke wiped herself and got up to wash her hands. "Are you almost done? I need a shower."

"Yeah I'll be out in a minute."

Brooke walked out, and walked over to the window and admired to view. Even after all these years Tree Hill was still a beautiful place. It was always so peaceful. She smiled at all the memories, good memories, she had made there.

"Okay you can go in." Alexa told her. "I know last night we really only bought some night gowns, so I'm going to run to the store, by me a shirt and shorts, them I'm going to go and explore, get us some food, and then we can figure out what the hell were doing."

"Okay mom." Brooke laughed.

Alexa did as she said she would, and when she was finally was ready to explore she found it much more interesting as Brooke had ever put it. It was totally different from what she was used to. People actually looked nice here, and they smiled a lot. There were parents, who were playing with their kids, people walking their dogs, and friends either shopping or just hanging out. Being kids.

She felt herself getting jealous. She never really had that luxury. Besides for Brooke, she never really had any friends. Thanks to her dark childhood, she didn't trust anyone. The ones that tried to be nice to her, she'd make fun of them, or just be a complete bitch to them, and the ones that were rude, she punched them.

Not the best strategy, but for a while it worked for her. Besides her dad, she never trusted anyone. Then Brooke came. Once in a while Brooke would try and poke into Alexa's past, but she always brushed it off with a snappy comment, or just ignored her completely.

Slowly Brooke and Alexa opened up to each other about both their pasts. They laughed, they cried, but it grew into a bond, a very strong sisterly bond that neither one of them ever thought possible.

Alexa snapped back into reality when her stomach growled. She looked around for some food, and then decided that she would rely on a friendly looking stranger.

"Um excuse me?" she asked a girl, little older looking the she was, dark brown hair, and green eyes. She was wearing very high heels, tight jeans, and a long green top.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm not from around here, do you know anyplace where I could get some food."

"There are food places all over."

"Okayyyy, know any good spots to eat?"

"Nope." She shrugged and then turned her back to her friends and started talking.

"What you don't eat?" Alexa asked, her voice getting a littler louder.

"Are you still talking to me?" the girl snapped.

"Apparently I am, but I'm surprised you can here me with all that nappy hair covering your ears." Alexa shot back.

"What did you just say to me?"

"Listen girly, I tired being nice, but now you're really starting to piss me off." Alexa stepped closer to her.

"Hunny, you are biting off a little more then you can chew." The girl whispered.

"Try me."

"What is going on here?" A voice from behind asked.

Alexa turned around to see an older lady, looking around the age of Brooke's mom.

"No, no problem." The girl smiled and walked away with her friends, leaving Alexa practically burning a hole through her head with the look she was giving her.

"I hate bitches." She mumbled under her breath.

"Are you okay?" the mystery lady asked.

"Do I look okay?" Alexa snapped.

Instead of being offended the lady just smiled. "Hi, I'm Karen." She extended her hand.

Alexa was hesitant at first and then shook it. "I'm Alexa."

"I'm not an eavesdropper Alexa, but I heard you asking for a good place to eat?"

"Yeah, you know any good spots?"

"Actually I do."

Alexa shrugged and followed her to a place that read **Karen's Café. **The name immediately sounded familiar. Brooke must have mentioned it in some of her stories.

"Here you go." Karen handed her a menu, "Let me know when you're ready to order."

"Well, do you have take out here? I have to get back to my sister."

"Of course." Karen smiled.

Alexa looked over the menu, and wondered what she was in the mood for, she was so distracted by the food, and she didn't even notice the young man take a seat next to her.

"Hey mom." He smiled as Karen brought him a cup of coffee.

"Hi Lucas." Karen smiled. "How are the last minute arrangements for the funeral going?"

Lucas? Alexa wondered. She knew of Brooke's ex Lucas, but could it be this one? There had to be more then one Lucas in the town. But then again, Karen's café did sound really familiar? Could this be one huge coincidence and she wounded up in the café that Brooke told her about? And wound up sitting next to Brooke's ex boyfriend?!? No way, she thought.

"Everything is pretty much finished. It's going to hurt saying goodbye to Whitey, but I'm glad were going to have something big to say goodbye. He deserves it.

Whitey! A name she defiantly knew. Brooke always laughed when she talked about him. The older man with the big laugh, and even bigger belly.

"Um excuse me?" Alexa spoke up.

"Know what you want?" Karen asked politely.

"Oh yeah, um can I get a number four, and a number three, with some extra bacon and two chocolate milks." She asked with a big smile.

"Be right up."

She nodded and then turned her attention to Lucas who was reading a paper. Alexa notice that it said something about that Whitey guy on the cover.

"Excuse me?" Alexa turned to him.

He looked up and smiled. "Yeah?"

"Do you have any more of those?"

"The paper?"

"Yeah. Or just the part about Whitey."

"Here." Lucas handed the paper to her. " Did you know Whitey?"

"Well, no. But my sister did, and I don't think she knows about his death."

"Does your sister live here?"

"She used to. We are just here visiting for a couple of days."

"That sounds like fun. What's her name I might know her."

Alexa was about to say Brooke Davis, but she didn't know how smart that would be, or how mad Brooke would be.

"Um, Penelope." She said as fast as she could.

"Penelope?"

"Yeah. Penelope…." Alexa looked around for anything to help and saw a clock. "Time. Penelope Time." She blurted out.

Lucas looked at her and then shrugged. "Nope, I don't know her."

"Yeah she was kind of a loser, not many friends." She smiled.

Lucas smiled as Karen brought out her food, she paid and tried to get out of there as fast as she could.

"Hey I didn't get your name." Lucas called out to her.

"It's Alexa." She smiled.

"Nice to meet you Alexa, make sure you tell Penelope about Whitey, he was a great guy, and if she knew him, I'm sure she'd love to say good bye and pay her respects."

"Okay I will. Thanks."

She hurried back to the hotel and walked in the room to see Brooke holding her cell phone in her hand.

"Oh thank god, saved by the food." She smiled. "I was just about to call Jerry, but I'm starving so that can wait."

Alexa laughed and then cleared her throat. Brooke had to know…

"So." She started. "You'll never guess who I ran into."


	6. Welcome Home Baby

Peyton smiled to herself as she pulled up in the rent-a-car to the place where she grew up as a child. The place that she would always run home to for a good nights dinner when she was a child, the place where everything was so comfortable. She was home. Somewhere she hadn't been in a long time, ten years actually. After leaving with Ellie, she just never came back. Of course her father came and visited her and Erick often, but his last trip had been almost a year ago. He was thrilled to hear from his daughter and to know she would be bringing his grandson and herself back home.

She opened the car door and looked back to see Erick peacefully sleeping. She stared at him for a few minutes, just looking at her precious boy. She loved him more then anything. She turned and let out a light scream when she saw her father standing in front of the car with a big smile on his face.

"Peyton!" he yelled.

"Shhh." She whispered pointing to Erick in the back. "Gosh dad, you scared me."

He smiled and walked over to her and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Welcome home baby." He kissed her again.

"Dad, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

She smiled. "Um, could you get Erick for me and I'll get the luggage, I just want him to get a good night sleep, and me and you can talk."

"Okay."

He kissed his sleeping grandson on the cheek and then carried him up to their guest bedroom and comfortably set him in. He smiled as he rubbed his hands through his hair and gave him another kiss. He quietly left him alone to sleep, and found Peyton looking around in her old room.

"You kept everything the same." She whispered.

"Out of habit, every time I even thought about touching one of your things when you were younger, my head was almost bitten off."

Peyton giggled. "Whoops."

He smiled and pulled her into another hug. "It's so good to have you home Peyton."

She hugged him back.

"I know you're home out of respect for Whitey, but you have to stay longer then that Peyton. I mean there is so much to do. Erick has never been here; he'll love Tree Hill. And you, you've been away for ten years, so much has changed. Besides you'll want to catch up with all your old friends right?"

"Wow." Peyton let out a breath.

"What?"

"I knew I had to see everyone sooner or later, but knowing that it is probably going to happen within the next couple of days, is kind of scary." She admitted.

"It's been a long time." He agreed.

"I haven't kept in touch with any of them, not one."

"Well some are still around. Nathan and his father own basically everything in this town now, and they run it all. As much as Dan used to bother me, I'll admit he has done wonders for this town. Let's see, Haley, is a schoolteacher. I run into her once in a while, she asks about you every now and then. And lets see, Lucas, well I haven't talked to him in a while, but he is a mechanic down town."

"So the three of them stuck together." She noticed.

"Actually only two of them did."

"What?"

"Nathan and Haley are no longer married."

"What?" Peyton gasped.

"Well I'm not sure if they are officially divorced, but they have been separated for a while now."

"Oh gosh, what…what happened?"

"I'm not really sure, I mean there are a few different stories but I don't really believe any of the gossip. I just know that Haley was pregnant, and boy, those two were thrilled. I saw them in town once in a while and the two were beaming with pride. Then, well I'm not really sure what grew them apart. People say he had an affair, others say she did whiles back and he found out about it, I don't know. There was an accident, and Haley lost the baby, and some months later, the two spilt."

"What kind of accident?" Peyton asked.

"Car accident. Haley was almost nine months pregnant and she was driving her car, and crashed. I think I remember hearing something about her in labor, and trying to drive to the hospital. Peyton, you should of herd what people said about her. They called her every name in the book; I mean how crazy would you have to be to drive while you're in labor? But I remember seeing her a few weeks after she was released and she was a mess. She was so excited to be a mother; she wouldn't have done something that stupid unless she had a really good reason."

"Oh god. Poor Haley."

"We don't talk much, and I don't know her, but I remember who she used to be. When the two of you were close, she was always so bubbly and happy, always kind to everyone. Now when I see her she is quiet, sad looking, maybe even depressed."

Peyton took a deep breath; it was so hard to digest it all.

"What about…. um, what about Lucas."

The question of the night.

"There isn't much to tell with Lucas. As far as I'm concerned him and Haley are still close as ever, he works at that mechanic shop, and I don't think him and Nathan are that close anymore. But other then that he keeps to himself a lot."

"It's going to be interesting to see everyone again."

"I hope you'll stay a while Petyon, I missed you."

"I missed you too dad." She smiled. "Enough about my friends, what about you? How have you been? Any ladies I should know about."

"Well actually…um no." he smiled.

"No good stories for me?"

"Sorry Peyton."

"Well now that I'm back, we'll see if we can take care of that."

He laughed.

"Gosh, it's late. What time is it?"

"1:30."

"Well I know I'm sleeping in tomorrow." She laughed.

"I think I'll get up early, and make your favorite meal."

"Hmmm and what can that be?"

Larry grinned.

"As I remember a certain daughter of mine loved chocolate chip pancakes, extra chocolate chips, with big strawberries on top."

Peyton licked her lips just thinking about it.

"Unfortunately dad, that certain daughter of yours didn't have to worry so much about weight."

"What?" Larry asked.

"Yeah, I'm serious I have to watch what I eat. After loosing the baby fat with Erick, I trained hard to keep my body in shape, I watched what I ate, exercised right, and well, wa laa." She smiled lifting up her hands pretending to be showing off her body.

"Peyton, I'm sure some pancakes wont kill you"

"Dad are you kidding me? I drink a milkshake, and my ass jiggles for like a week."

Larry and Petyon looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"I thought you were serious." Larry laughed.

"Well I do diet, but passing up some of your world famous pancakes? Hell no." She smiled.

He hugged his daughter once more.

"I'm glad to have you back Peyton." He told her again.

"Yeah." She smiled. "Me to dad."


	7. Forgive and Forget? Hell no!

Haley hummed quietly to herself as she grocery shopped. She had gotten only a few things, some tampons, cookies, spagehetti sauce, shampoo, and then she stopped and started to pick up some apples. She picked out of her favorite kind, the green apples. The red were too plain, and the yellow were too sweet. But those green apples hit the spot every time. She picked out about three when she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder.

"Hi there, Tutor girl." A shy voice spoke.

Haley turned around and dropped her apple. There standing in front of her was Brooke Davis, Her once upon a time best friend that left after graduation without as much as a note saying goodbye. Haley tried many times to get in contact with her, but couldn't. After almost two years, she had just given up; apparently Brooke didn't want to be found.

"Hi." Haley smiled, as the two girls gave each other a warm hug. "Wow, I can't believe it's you."

"I know. It's uh, it's been a while I guess you can say."

"How did they get in touch with you?" Haley asked.

"What? Who?"

"The people at the school district, they called everyone from our graduating class and before that, to tell everyone about Whitey's death. Isn't that why you're here?"

"No. Well, now I am. I mean, I'm staying here until the funeral. But I didn't know he died until I got here. Confusing story….I guess no one could get in touch with me." Brooke shrugged.

"I guess not." Haley smiled.

"It's so odd being here again. So much has changed, I've been enjoying my time just walking around enjoying the scenery, something I defiantly didn't do as a teen." Brooke laughed.

"It's a beautiful place." Haley responded.

"The only thing that really just looks the same to me, I mean exactly the same, is the river court. Want to hear something crazy Haley? I actually play basketball now. Well I mean I'm no Michael Jordan or anything but I like to dribble and shoot around. So me and Alexa were playing around for hours, and I just….I loved it."

"Who's Alexa?" Haley asked.

"Oh right, she is my younger sister…uh step sister."

"Oh?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, my mom got remarried, she is like my best friend, despite the fact she is like 6 years younger then me."

"That's awesome Brooke." Haley smiled.

"Yeah, it's good to be back." Brooke smiled back. "So tell me Haley, how are things here? How are you and Nathan? Any kids yet?"

Haley's smile instantly faded and she just looked away.

"Haley, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Haley answered.

"Haley…" Brooke glanced down and cursed at herself, when she realized Haley wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

"Where have you been living?" Haley quickly changed the subject.

"Charlotte, but Haley I may have been gone for a while, but I know that look. You can talk to me."

"Charlotte?" Haley asked, completely ignoring her. "That's about three hours away."

"Yeah, we moved there after graduation and I just never left, I love it there."

"So you are telling me all this time, you were only three hours away, and you didn't call, write, or visit at all?" Haley asked.

"Haley. I just.. I couldn't." Brooke sighed.

"Yeah, maybe you had to get away from Tree Hill, and I understand how you had to get away from Peyton, and Lucas. But me? Brooke you just left me here. You, you didn't even care."

"I did care Haley. I still do."

"You have a funny way of showing it." Haley sounded a little meaner then she meant. " I mean I tried for years to find you. I called everywhere, but it was like you just disappeared. Before your father moved away, I tried asking him to help me, but he didn't know either. Did you even think about calling, even once?"

"Everyday. Look, I'm sorry Haley. I should have called. But the longer I waited, the more I convinced myself you wouldn't want to talk to me."

"Brooke, you were my best friend. Of course I'd want to talk to you. Don't be stupid. I mean, the last time I saw you, you were so hurt, and so angry. I came over to talk to you one morning with a box of donuts, and you were just gone. I mean after the thing with you and Lucas happened, we were together a lot, and you didn't mention you leaving to me at all."

"I know Haley I'm sorry." Brooke sighed. "You were right, I was in a bad place then. I was pissed, hurt, and just going crazy being in that town. You were there for me, every single day, and it was wrong of me to just abandon you. But that was the old Brooke, a different Brooke. I really didn't like myself then, but now…I'm different."

"Really?"

"Really." Brooke smiled.

"How long have you been in town?" Haley asked.

"A couple of days."

Haley chuckled.

"You haven't changed." She whispered.

"What? Haley?"

"We don't speak in years, ten to be exact, and then mysteriously you just appear back into town for a couple of days, and you don't even bother to get in contact with me…right?"

"Well, I was going to wait and…"

"Yet you are different. Different from the Brooke that didn't call me over the years, different from the Brooke who ditched me all those years ago?"

"Haley please.."

"Save it Brooke. You say you changed? Well so did I. I'm not longer nice and friendly Haley, okay I'm just not."

"Why?" Brooke asked softly.

"Why?" Haley laughed in her face. " I don't know it could start with my best friend Brooke leaving me and having me worried sick about her for all these years, or it could be that only a few months after she left, my other best friend Peyton left too. At least she left a note saying goodbye, but still she left! She never called, she didn't care. Just like you didn't, and still don't!" Haley started to form tears in her eyes and Brooke was about to speak until Haley put her hand up. "OH wait I'm not done. There is also the fact that my husband, you know the one I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with? Well he left me a few years back, after I was an idiot and went and killed our baby. So think about it Brooke I lost my two best friends, my husband, and my child in a matter of a few years. The only one I have left in my life is Lucas, and I'm sure you are still convinced he is some horrible guy, because that is what you do. You like to drag on things and hold grudges, which is why you haven't been back here in ten years! Brooke I was there for you, for every time you needed to talk, cry, yell, or just spend some quality time with, but I never asked for anything from you, nothing. But I can't tell you how bad I needed you over these years. You don't understand and you never will. I honestly hope you aren't as dumb as you sound, and think that ten years of silence is going to be forgiven and forgotten in some produce aisle? Think again."

With that she walked away, wiping the tears from her eyes, and leaving a stunned and heartbroken Brooke to just digest everything she had just seen, and heard. That was not the Haley she remembered, not her loveable, bubbly, caring friend. No, Haley had been right, she was defiantly different. And Brooke felt terrible for it.


	8. The two that ruined it all, meet again

Haley lost her breath when she walked into the room that was holding the service for Whitey. She knew that this was going to be a big tribute to Whitey, but it was a lot more then she expected.

For starters the people, there were hundreds! People of all different shapes and sizes, people not even from Tree Hill, or North Carolina at all! All coming to show their respect, and with a turnout that big, it was painfully obvious Whitey was a very loved man. There were photos of Whitey all over, from his childhood, through high school and college years, photos of him and his wife, and of course tons of photo's with him and his team. All of them he was smiling big from ear to ear.

There was a separate room, somewhat smaller where the people would be seated, and Whitey's coffin was at the end of it. It was an open casket, so people would line up to see him one last time, to say goodbye.

"Lucas, this is amazing." Haley told him.

"Whitey deserves it." He told her.

"You're right."

"But you know what he'd probably saw if he saw all of this." Lucas laughed to himself.

Haley just laughed, imagining how Whitey would react to such a big event, thrown in his name.

"He'd definitely have something smart to say, but you and I both know deep down, he'd love it. Every minute of it. Seeing everyone here, coming and paying their respects, letting him know that he is loved."

"It's tough letting him go." Lucas told her. "But I can also be happy because he is finally with his wife. He loved her so much Hales, an d I'm thankful that he can be with her again."

"Love is a powerful thing." Haley said.

"Agreed."

Haley gave a light smile before clearing her throat.

"Okay well I'm going to use the bathroom."

"You're leaving me?"

"Just going to the bathroom, I'm sure I'll meet back up with you in like a minute." Haley laughed.

"Hales look at all these people. If you leave, there is a very slim chance you'll be able to find me"

Haley looked around and then laughed.

"So I guess I'll see you at the end of the night?" She joked.

Lucas waved and then went and walked off; he only walked about two feet before bumping into somebody.

"Oh, excuse me." He apologized.

He turned around and a smile spread across his lips.

"Larry." He smiled shaking his hands. "How have you been man?"

"Hello Lucas." He smiled back. "It's been a while."

"That it has, thank you for coming out."

"Oh of course, Whitey was a great man, he deserves it."

Lucas was about to agree until he herd _her _voice.

"Sorry I took forever dad, I couldn't find a parking space." She smiled and hugged him. She turned around and her smile instantly faded, she was looking in the eyes of Lucas Scott. The man she hadn't seen in years, the man that ruined her relationship with her best friend all those year ago, the man who ruined her relationship with the man she loved all those years ago. The man she thought about unwillingly every day since.

"Um.. Lucas. HI." She smiled giving him an awkward hug.

"I'll let you two catch up on things." Larry smiled and walked away, not even caring Peyton was giving him a death glare as he left.

"Peyton." He smiled "You.. You look great."

"Thanks, so do you."

He nodded, and the two were left in an awkward silence.

"So, this is kind of weird?" Peyton giggled.

"Why? We used to be great friends. Why does this have to be weird?" Lucas asked.

Peyton gave him the are-you-seriously-asking-me-that-question-look. And he just nodded, and both were brought back to the memory of their last time speaking, ten years ago.

_Peyton wiped her eyes as she lay on her bed, and continued drawing. She had shut off her cell phone, house phone, computer, web cam, and locked her doors. She wanted to be alone, she had to be alone. The past week had been absolute hell, she lost three of the most important people in her life within those days, and it was all her fault._

_She looked down at he drawing and sighed. It was a picture of herself, on her knees, begging for forgiveness looking up in the sky, with tears falling down her face, causing a puddle on the ground. There were three familiar faces sketched up in the sky all looking down at her with an unhappy look on their face. _

_Peyton's music was blaring, and she didn't even hear the footsteps coming up the stairs, or when they walked in the doorway. She was so engrossed in her drawing, that the only reason she looked was because the music was suddenly turned off._

"_Lucas." She gasped. "What…what are you doing here?"_

"_We need to talk Peyton." He told her as he sat on the edge of her bed._

"_um, how did you get in?"_

_HE pulled a key out of his pocket. "You gave it to me a while ago, I never thought I'd need it but looks like it came in handy for me."_

_She nodded._

"_What's up?"_

"_Brooke told me it's officially over today. We're done, completely."_

"_Can you blame her?"_

"_No." he shook his head._

"_Lucas I'm sorry. This is all my fault."_

_He looked up at her._

"_No, it's both of our faults. But I did come here to apologize."_

"_For what?"_

"_For everything."_

"_Me to Lucas." She put a hand on her knee. "Listen, even though we basically screwed ourselves out of two of the best relationships either of us have ever been in."_

"_Are you trying to make me feel even worse?" HE joked._

"_Let me finish." She smiled. "Even though we kind of, had sex." She sighed; it was still hard to say out loud. "Even though we had sex, and ruined everything, I know things will get better. Or at least that is what I have to hope, but what we did, was just sex. Just that, and nothing more. I just I want you do know that you are a great friend, but I'm going to get Jake back. I love him, and i'll do whatever it takes, and I don't think he'd be to happy with me and you still being friends."_

_There she said it, she had spoken her mind._

"_I respect that Peyton. Even though I know there really isn't any hope right now for Brooke, and me I hope you get what you want. And again, I'm sorry. Good luck." He got up, and she gave him a warm hug._

"_Good bye Lucas."_

"_Bye Peyton."_

_He grabbed her hands and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, and at exactly that moment Jake walked into Peyton's room with a single red rose in his hand._

"_Well." He laughed, in spite of the situation. "I sure look like an idiot." _

_He turned angrily around and began to walk away._

"_Jake wait!" She called after him. "This, oh god, I know what you must think, but I swear Lucas.."_

"_Lucas was just all over you, again. This is the second time I had to catch you two together in the past week." He yelled. _

"_Jake listen man."_

"_Lucas." He yelled. "Seriously shut the fuck up, because I'm two seconds from knocking your lying, cheating, scrawny ass on the ground."_

"_Just shut the fuck up and listen man, damn I know this looks bad, but it aint want you think."_

"_You don't know what I think." He told him. "But what I fucking know is you were fucking my girl behind my back. I know because I fucking saw it! Go ahead and deny, i dare you!"_

_"I_ _can't do that." _

_"I know you can't. You know when you first came on the team, I'm the one who reached out to you, and didn't give you shit. I was your friend. This is how you repay me?"_

_"Jake please." Peyton cried._

"_What Peyton? You think I can't see through those crocodile tears? It's all bullshit, all of it. I thought you loved me, I thought you loved Jenny." He started to form tears in his eyes._

"_I do, and you know it."_

"_Really? You have a funny way of showing it. Here." He threw the rose at her feet. "I came here to see if maybe, maybe there could be some way at all for us to work things out, mainly because of Jenny. Because you are the closest thing she has to a mother, and she needs that. But you know what? I'd rather Jenny grow up motherless, then with a slut to look up to."_

_Peyton bowed her head as tears fell down her face. "I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah, well you two can take your apologies and shove them up your ass. Peyton I mean it when I say this, we are done. For good. And you." He looked at Lucas. " And you? You man, you are just pathetic. Fuck you, dude. Fuck you. Enjoy my leftovers."_

_With that he left the two alone, and Peyton crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep, and Lucas walked aimlessly around for hours, on the streets of Tree Hill, trying to figure out what the hell he had done._

"You left like two weeks later."

"I had to."

"Why?" Lucas asked.

Peyton shrugged. "It was time to go. New York is my home now, and I love it there. And right when this funeral is over, I'm flying right back there."

"You're not going to stick around for a while."

"Not a chance in hell." She answered quickly causing Lucas to laugh and accidentally bump into an older man behind him.

"Sorry." Lucas laughed.

"Fucking kids…" He mumbled, walking away.

"oops." Lucas smiled, causing both of them to burst out laughing. It wasn't even that funny, the two had been separated for a long time, of course it should have been awkward but laughing seemed to help everything.

They continued laughing and they didn't even notice the dark haired beauty walk through the doorway, and she just so happened to see the sight before her. Peyton and Lucas together. Together and happy. Together and laughing. Both looking great.

"This should be interesting." Brooke mumbled to herself. She took a deep breathe, looked at Alexa who gave her a wink, and then she walked on in, ready to face her past.


	9. Oh goody

Nathan looked around the room as he sipped on his water, thanks to Lucas there was no alcohol served at this memorial. Even though Nathan wouldn't admit it he was pretty impressed by the out come of it all. There were tons of people and the place looked amazing.

"Damn, the man is gone and he still is getting on my last nerve." Dan approached Nathan.

"How so?"

"For the past hour every where I turn I hear nothing but Whitey this and Whitey that."

"It is the man's funeral dad."

"Still, am I the only one that actually knew the real guy? People are building him up to be some amazing guy, and all he was, was a washed up old basketball coach."

"Seems to me like someone is jealous that there is a function in this town that actually isn't all about him."

"Cute Nathan." Dan smirked.

"Well were here, we showed our faces, I'm leaving." 

"Woah, not so fast Nathan. You still have your speech to give."

"My what?"

"Your speech."

"What speech?"

"In about a half an hour everyone will gather, and your brother will be giving a speech, lord knows what the hell he will say but more then likely it will be some sappy thing about how great of a guy Whiteys, yada yada ya. Then it will be your turn, and you'll be even more sappy, yet kind of witty and entertaining. You make the people sad, and you tell them how close you and Whitey were."

"Dammit dad! I can't give a speech."

"You can and you will. Here."

Dan handed over a couple note cards. "Read it over a few times, make sure you get familiar with it, don't worry I even noted the few times where I want you to choke up."

Nathan angrily shook his head. "I'm not doing this."

"Nathan."

"NO!" Nathan's voice got loud. "Damn, you might be alright with going around and being a fake all the damn time but I'm not. You say one thing and do another, you have people falling for all your bull shit, and I'm not doing it. I haven't talked to Whitey in forever and I'm not going up there and giving some spiel about how much I'm going to miss him. No. I'm not doing it."

"Excuse me. I'm sorry but you two are being a little loud, this is a memorial and I'd appreciate it if you could lower your voices." A kind voice from behind Nathan spoke.

"Excuse me, but we're talking." He snapped. He turned around and froze at whom he saw.

Dan just smirked.

"I believe my son was correct. We're talking."

"Yes, I heard him. But you are talking to loud, please lower your voices." She said again, in a sterner voice.

"Sorry Mrs. Roe." Nathan mumbled.

Mrs. Roe. Nathan hadn't said that name in years, since before he and Lucas became friends. He hadn't talked to ever, but then when Lucas joined the team, they had occasional run ins with each other. He would always be polite and call her Mrs. Roe, but after he and Lucas became basically inseparable, she finally got him to start calling her Karen.

However that was a long long time ago, and using the name Karen was totally out of the question.

"Karen, if you don't mind." Dan spoke sweetly. "Get away from us. My son and me have no business with you anymore…thank god. We are old enough to realize if we are talking to loudly or not. Thank you."

"Well when you are disturbing the peace of a memorial of a man that I loved and respected very much, arguing about weather or not you would like your son to go up on stage and give a fake speech about a man he hadn't had contact with in years just to get the people of this town, to fall under your spell some more, I make it my business. Now please. " She smiled sweetly. "Shut up, or get out."

She nodded at the two of them and looked at Nathan for a couple of seconds and turned her head and walked away. He watched her as she approached Lucas and Nathan knew that Lucas had just witnessed the entire episode of what just happened.

"Ballsy." Dan mumbled as he walked away from Nathan, leaving him they're feeling suddenly stupid and embarrassed and wishing he were somewhere completely different.

Across the room Karen smiled at Lucas and he gave her a questioning look back. 

"What was that all about?"

"Oh nothing." Karen smiled.

"Was he being a dick?"

"Was who being a dick?" Haley asked from behind as she approached the two of them and handed Lucas a bottle of water. "Here is your water, now…" She looked around. "Who's being an dick?"

Lucas and Karen just looked at each other and then their looks shifted over to where Dan and Nathan were standing with a couple, Dan was clearly putting on an act as the older woman wiped a tear from her eye, looking at a recent picture of Whitey. Dan looking like he was ready to start balling himself, gently grabbed her hand and Nathan just rolled his eyes and walked away, accidentally bumping into a man and cause him to stumble, and Nathan didn't even look back.

"Oh goody." Haley said sarcastically. "My husbands here."


	10. Never Ever

"Oh wow. Oh my. Oh yes. Oh, oh, oh."

"Will you shut up!" Brooke hissed.

"I'm sorry." Alexa smiled. "But Brooke, these boys in Tree Hill are so..hot!"

"Alexa, show some respect please…this is a memorial."

Alexa rolled her eyes and walked over to examine more pictures. Brooke shook her head and smiled, Alexa sure was a character. Brooke took a closer look at a picture near her. It was a big group shot of all of the cheerleaders and basketball players in the Ravens gym after just barely winning the playoffs. She searched with her eyes, until she found herself. She was right next to Peyton, arms around each other, smiles from ear to ear.

"That's one of my favorites."

Brooke practically jumped out of her skin. She turned around and lost all of her breath.

"Peyton."

"Hi Brooke." She smiled, as she went in to give her a hug. Brooke, practically mechanic like, tried to give one back.

"Wow." Was all Brooke could say.

"It's been a long time Brooke."

"I..umm.."

"Listen I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Haley yet, but I would really like it if us three could get together. I don't know maybe have lunch or something. It's been such a long time, and I think us three should really catch up."

"Umm. S..sure.. I don't.."

"Haley looks great, and so do you. Of course I knew you would…you always did. There is so much we need to catch up on. I don't know a thing about Haley or you."

"Uhh."

"I know, I guess it's a lot to ask from you, but being back here looking and remembering all of these memories, well I don't know.. I feel so out of place, I don't know what anyone's been doing these past ten years. Lucas said.."

And there it was. Peyton wasn't sure what the hell she was doing. She was talking to Brooke as if all was fine with the two of them. She was planning on just going up to her, taking it slow, not asking a bunch of things. But as soon as she started talking, the words just kept pouring out of her mouth. She couldn't control it. And then she had the stupidity to bring up Lucas!

Brooke had had a loss for words the first two minutes of Peyton's babbling. She knew she was going to have to see her, and even talk to her eventually. But actually doing it was completely different form what she imagined. She didn't know what to say, or how to act. She just started stuttering until Peyton said..Lucas.

Then everything seemed to rush back into Brookes mind. Why she had to leave Tree Hill. Why the past ten years had been so difficult. Why she had ran out on her wedding. Why she had that fight with Haley. Why she was all alone.

"Speaking of the charmer, where is he?" Brooke put on a fake smile.

"Um. Lucas? I.. I don't' know."

"You don't know where your own boyfriend is?"

"My.. Brooke he isn't my.."

"Oh sorry it's just.. I didn't see the ring on the finger. What is it a secret? You two keeping it hidden? You always loved that before." Brooke snapped.

"Brooke, Lucas and I aren't together."

"Well you two looked pretty happy when I saw you earlier."

"That was the first time I've seen Lucas in ages."

"And you looked just so happy to be together."

"Listen Brooke, I thought that maybe this was something that we weren't going to have to deal with. I mean, it's been ten years."

At this time Lucas had gone to the podium he had set out in the front of the room, and had announced it was time to gather around.

"I would like to say a little something first, and then anyone who would like to say something, anything at all about Whitey can come on up and say it in the microphone. Don't be shy, Whitely would appreciate it."

He scanned the room while everyone started to get together and his smile fell when he saw across the room. Brooke and Peyton looking right at him. Lucas's heart fell when he saw Brooke. She looked even more beautiful then he remembered. Unfortunately to him, she was giving him the same look she had when they last spoke ten years ago. That look, was hate.

"Hey Peyton…" Brooke finally spoke.

"Yeah." She turned to her former best friend.

"You will never know what you put me through. I know when we were younger I might have been a little reckless, and done something incredibly stupid things, but out of everyone I was there for you. Always."

"Brooke i.."

"When your mom died, and you were a mess, it was me who rode my bike over every day and cried with you, who made you laugh, who did anything to make you feel even the slightest bit of happiness. But I guess you forgot about that."

"No..i.."

"When your dad deserted you…oh and we both know he did. Leaving you for months at a time to go fishing, instead of staying here with you, dealing with his loss, and his mourning child, I was the one who stayed by you. We went through our teenage years together. Learning a lot of things together, doing almost everything together. When you and Nathan got together, it was I who was there to talk to you when you guys fought, and there for you when you cried when he screwed you over again and again. It was me who you first drank with, it was me you first told about loosing your virginity. It was me you called when you were scared of the lightening storms, and begged me to come over. It was me who had to drag you out of that party when you were drugged. But I guess you forgot about that."

"Brooke." Peyton said, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"And it was me who fell deeply in love with Lucas. It was me who let my guard down with the two of you. I let both of you in, and trusted you both. You betrayed me once, and I forgave you both. I tried to distance myself from the both of you, but you both fooled me, saying I could trust you again, and I did. First time shame on you, second time shame on me right? Because Peyton, it was me who fell so hard for Lucas. It was me who told you for hours at a time how deeply in love I was with him. How I would love to marry him, and have children with him. It was me who trusted the both of you with my heart, and it was me who was crushed. But.. I guess you forgot about that."

Peyton bowed her head, tears pouring down her eyes.

"You have no idea…none…of how that affected my life, of how it still affects my life. You slept with him Peyton. You lied to me. You betrayed me. I will never forget that. Never."

"Brooke I know, I just..i thought- "

"Well Peyton." Brooke cut in. "Today, just let ten years ago, you thought wrong…didn't you?"


	11. A Brother to Brother chat

Nathan rolled his eyes as Lucas walked away from the stand with tears in his eyes. It was just like he knew it would be, Lucas walked up to the stand and started talking about the first time he met Whitey, and how he changed his life, and how much of a great man he was. All around Nathan people were crying and wiping their eyes. After Lucas a girl, he remembered her face but not her name, went up and started to speak about her remembrances of Whitey.

"He'd love it, no matter what you say." Nathan heard a familiar voice from behind. He slowly turned around, and his heart dropped.

"But I haven't even prepared anything. I just…Whitey helped me out so much, and I never got to tell him thanks." A younger blonde haired girl who was crying said.

"Tell him now. Don't be afraid just say whatever you feel. Even the littlest thing would be good enough." Haley smiled at her.

Nathan stared at Haley with so many different emotions. She was prettier then he remembered but still the same at heart. Haley was always a helpful hand, and here she was doing it again. This girl was crying, and unsure of what to do, and there was Haley at her side giving her comforting advice.

The girl and Haley talked for a minute longer, and she nodded her head and walked away. Haley watched her for a moment and then smiled a little. She looked over and instantly caught eyes with Nathan.

Haley lost all her breath. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes always captured her. They stared at each other for a while, not even realizing the scene around them.

"Um..HI." Haley finally spoke.

"Hey." He shifted uncomfortably.

"I um..I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Yeah. I'm just paying my respects.

"Yeah." Haley nodded.

The two stood there very uncomfortably. The two ex spouses who used to be crazy in love, and inseparable had absolutely no idea what to say to each other.

"So, I guess I'll see you around." Haley practically whispered.

She had tears in her eyes Nathan could see. He wanted so desperately to scream at her to wait. He wanted to say something, anything. He wanted her to happy again; he wanted to be happy again. But once again, as it usually did his male pride and his damn ego got in the way, and he let her walk away.

He stared on as she walked out of his site.

"I guess some things never change."

Nathan jumped and turned around to see Lucas. He just stared at him for a while, and that urge that he had just a moment ago to embrace his ex wife suddenly disappeared and his bitter and evil side started to slide back to him.

"Yeah I've noticed. You're still the same pussy you've always been."

With that he walked away, but Lucas was not finished.

"Yeah, mourning the death of a good man that I've known for years, what a pussy. You know the old Nathan that I knew, the one that actually had feelings, would have been just as upset as I am right now."

"The old Nathan?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah and not the old selfish bastard that you turned back into, the man who actually had something in there." He shoved his feeling into his chest. "The man who was deeply in love with my best friend, the man that became a brother to me, the man who looked up to Whitey."

Nathan was silent.

"Listen, it's been a while Nathan. I know you've changed, and you are defiantly not the same guy that I once knew. But I'm still your brother, and I still care. Despite what you say, I know you still care too."

Nathan was about to say something, but Lucas continued.

"You think just because we haven't talked in years I still don't know you? You act like you don't give a shit about Whitey's death, but deep down I know you do. You pretend like you don't miss Haley, that you still don't love her? That's bullshit and you know it. What happened between you two was horrible okay. I know that, and I still see it in Haley's eyes every day. I've been there for her, I've done my best, but Nathan she needs you. And by the looks of things, you need her too."

Nathan was silent for a moment, and then his lips curved into a smile. And he started to clap his hands.

"Wow Lucas, what a speech."

"Nathan I'm serious." Lucas gave him a look.

"Lucas, please. This knight in shining armor bit is old. You think that after all this time you can still run in and save the day? HA! Lucas look at me. Look at my life, it's amazing. My dad and me run this town, I can do whatever I want whenever I want. You think that it's wrong I'm not sitting here like you crying about some old guy croaking? Lucas Whitey was old, he was bound to die sometime."

"He wasn't just some guy Nathan, dammit that man was there for you when you needed him."

Nathan kept going, as if he didn't here him.

"And as far as Haley goes." 

"Watch what you say." Lucas warned.

"We're divorced, have been for years." He smiled. "You think that whole situation didn't fuck me up for a while? Yeah, well it did. But that was a long time ago. We're adults Lucas, and Haley can't even stand here and have a simple conversation, its pathetic. You think you know me, well you don't. I knew coming here was a mistake, I knew seeing the two of you would fucking drive me crazy. Haley and me are done Luke. I don't need her or any of the bullshit you're trying to feed me. Trust me I've got enough females to keep me company, if you know what I mean." Nathan said that last line, looking directly into Lucas's eyes with that evil smirk on his face.

"You're a dick, Nathan."

"What I'm a grown man, and if I need a good looking chick to make me feel better once in a while, I say hell why not? What you telling me after all these years you haven't fucked anyone? Your still stuck on Peyton? Or no wait, it was Brooke right?"

Lucas just shook his head.

"Go to hell."

Lucas walked off and Nathan just shook his head, as he saw his father coming up.

"What do you want?" Nathan asked.

"I'm going up there to speak now, after that I'll call you up."

"Don't bother, I'm out of here."

Nathan walked away before his dad even got a chance to argue with him. He left, and went home where he instantly got changed and opened a beer and turned on the T.V.

Back at Whitey's memorial Haley walked up to Lucas and smiled.

"So, your mom tells me she saw you talking to Nathan? What..um..what did he say?"

Lucas looked into those big brown eyes. Those same eyes he looked into almost all his life since he was about six years old. Those same eyes that cried out all of those tears. This was his best friend and he knew that she deserved the truth, but he just couldn't tell her. He just couldn't hurt her even more.

"Nothing really." He lied. "Just some mumbling bullshit and then we kind of went our separate ways."

Haley nodded and Lucas put his arm around her and looked around. "This is going to be over soon Hales." He told her as he saw Peyton, Dan, and even Brooke again throughout the crowd. "Then it will just be me and you again, just you and me. And we won't have to deal with the pain of the past anymore. "


	12. The Call

Brooke rolled over with a loud yawn and glanced at the clock. It read 10:00 am and she groaned out loud. Whitey's funeral was much harder then she expected it to be. She couldn't say she and him had a real great relationship, but he always made her smile. It was hard saying goodbye to him. It was even harder to see and deal with Peyton. It was even harder having to see Lucas and avoid him all night.

"Good morning sunshine." Alexa smiled at her.

"It's defiantly morning but I don't see anything good about it." Mumbled Brooke.

"Oh today's the day aint it?" Alexa asked.

"Unfortunately so." Brooke sighed. "Today's the day I get to call Jerry and explain it all."

"You know he is going to yell."

"I hate it when he yells." Brooke cringed.

"And cry."

"I hate that even more."

"But you have to do it."

"I have to."

"You owe him." 

"Big time."

"Okay then have fun. I'm going for a run." Alexa threw the phone and Brooke and walked out the door with a final wave.

Brooke's hands were shaking as she picked up the phone and dialed the very familiar number. It rang a few times and as cowardly as Brooke felt, she prayed that he didn't answer.

"Hello?"

Brooke froze.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jerry." She finally spoke.

There was a silence then a long pause.

"Hello Brooke."

"Hi." She repeated. "How…um..how are you?"

"You mean since my supposed to be wife left me at the altar? Not bad."

"I'm so sorry Jerry." She cried. "I know it was horrible and rude and and just so cruel and heartless of me but It just wasn't right. At least now. I just..I couldn't do it."

"Don't you think that was something that could have been discovered some time earlier?" He snapped.

"Yes. But I just… getting ready, and seeing myself in that dress, knowing that we were going to be stuck together for the rest of our lives, it..it scared me."

"Well I'm sorry spending the rest of your life with me sounds so horrible."

"No no it's not that. It's just..i was scared. I still am. I ran, and I know that was the cowards way out but I just, I didn't know what else to do!"

"How about come talk to me?"

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I'm not trying to make an excuse for what I did, I'm just trying to apologize."

"I forgive you." He told her.

"You..you what?" She practically yelled.

"I forgive you."

"What? Why?"

"Because I think you are right. We aren't meant to be together."

"Wait Jerry, I never said.."

"And I think I found someone else." He blurted.

"You what?!"

"Listen Brooke."

"Who? Who is she? How could you? We, we are supposed to be engaged!"

"As of right now we are supposed to be married, you ran out of that one remember?"

"It hasn't even been a week yet!"

"Brooke when I realized you left I was devastated. I ran out of that church and found the closest bar and drank until I couldn't even stand anymore. I was pissed, embarrassed, and hurt…really hurt. Then she took me home, she took care of me. When I woke up the next morning we just talked all day. She let me cry, and she helped me through it. I realized that night that we just weren't meant to be. I know this might sound crazy Brooke, but I think I found my wife. My real wife. My soulmate." Brooke could tell he was smiling on the other end of the line, he was deadly serious.

"Jerry! Are you kidding me?" Brooke asked in shock. "You mean..you mean that's it? We're done. You are going to be with someone else?"

"Yes." He answered.

"But…but I thought you loved me." She said, a tear running down her face.

"Brooke you don't love me."

"Yes I do." She cried out.

"If you loved me, you'd be with me right now, we'd be married and on our honeymoon. But your not, we're not and I don't even know where the hell you are right now"

"But I'm sorry."

"Me too, but think about it. In the long run, I think you did us both a favor."

He took a long breath.

"Brooke I think..i think there is something else you should know. That something might upset you a little."

"What could upset me more then the man that I thought I was going to marry, no longer wishes to marry me, and is off falling in love with someone else. What? Are you going to tell me the girl is Rebecca."

There was a long pause.

"Um."

"MY BRIDES MAID!" She screamed.

"Brooke I'm sorry."

"She was the first one I met when I moved to charlotte! She, she was my , is my best friend! You can't, you can't do this."

"I can't help how I feel Brooke. I'm sorry, really really really sorry. I just, I fell in love. I know it's not just some rebound thing. We connected, we really connected.

"Yay for you."

"Brooke I hate hurting you. You know that I love you, but I just..i'm not in love with you."

"AH!" she screamed. "You honestly did not just say that to me!"

"I'm sorry." He sighed.

Brooke wiped away her eyes.

"I can't believe this. I can't go back now. I'm probably the laughing stock of the whole damn town! Oh my god. What am I going to do? Where am I going to live?" she asked out loud.

"Brooke Charlotte is your home. You can come back, I mean I would have hoped that we could still be.."

"Don't you dare say friends." She warned through gritted teeth. "And I can't go back, where would I stay? We bought a house together!"

"Actually Brooke.., I bought the house. So me and Rebecca, we kind of were thinking that we would live there."

Brooke's jaw fell to the floor. This was just a big nightmare.

"Well I already sold my apartment back in Charlotte and I know you don't expect me to go and live with my parents."

"Brooke you have money. You have tons of it, and not just your daddy's money either. You work hard for it, you have more then enough to buy your own place. Get back to work, and just move on."

Brooke shook her head; Charlotte was the last place she was going to go.

"I guess this is my problem, and I'll have to figure it out on my own."

"Don't be afraid to call me Brooke." He told her. "I still care, and..so does Rebecca."

Brooke let out a loud laugh.

"Whatever."

"Goodbye Brooke."

"Goodbye."

Brooke placed the phone down slowly on the bed and shook her head.

"Okay." She said to her self out loud. "What the hell just happened?"


	13. Green eyes

"Peyton I know your hiding something, why can' t you just talk to me?" Lucas asked Peyton.

He was sitting on the edge of her bed and she was lying on her stomach with a pad and pencil in her hand. He had come over and found her doing exactly what he thought she was going to be doing, drawing. Lately he had noticed something odd about her behavior and he wanted to check up on his friend, something just wasn't right.

"Lucas stop pestering me, I told you the first fifty times…nothing."

"And like I said fifty times, you suck at lying." He smirked.

She hinted at a smile

"Come on what's wrong?"

Right when the words left his lips her cell phone rang and Lucas saw that it was her dad and he could instantly see the sadness in her eyes.

"Hello?..Hey dad…great…really?..oh for how long?…that's cool…oh no I'm happy dad..i'm really happy. I swear…I'll be fine, really…have a great time..oh okay..love you too…yeah and..hello? hello?"

"he just hung up on me." She shook her head and tried to hide her tear stained face from Lucas.

"Peyton what.."

"He met another women!" she cried out loud. "My dad! His stupid boat got lost and they stopped at some stupid island, I forget the stupid name. Apparently while he was there he met this stupid women who moved out there years ago, she's from Michigan. He is so head over heels for her he says he says that he is staying with her for a while, just to see how things go..his company is letting him, he made some deal with him." She wiped at her eyes. "He so graciously offered to come home…if I really needed him."

"So you are upset about him meeting another women?"

"No..well yes..Lucas it's everything. I know he deserves to be happy and meet someone new but I hate it. He didn't even ask if I was okay with it. He says if things go well, she'd probably come with him, and gosh I hate it! I want him home, why is he staying with her? Why doesn't he care, why doesn't he ever want to be with me?" she cried.

"Peyotn…"

"I know I'm probably blowing this way out of proportion but I haven't said anything to anyone Jenny's been sick so I don't want to bother him with my petty little problems anymore Brooke's been so busy with cheerleading, Haley.."

"What about me?" He asked.

"I..i don't' know I …"

"Why wouldn't you come to me?"

He stared right in to her eyes, and she knew she was hurting his feelings.

"I don't know.. I feel like I'm always complaining, and people just get so annoyed .." she wiped her eyes.

"Never." He answered honestly, "I'm never annoyed of you Peyton. I don't want you to ever feel that you can't come to me. I'll always be here for you, I'll always be here if you want to complain, talk, cry anything..always Peyton."

He placed his hand on her knee and she knew he was serious.

"You're just always saving me." She joked.

"I never complained of the job before."

"No you never did."

"Never will."

Her eyes swelled up with tears… "I'm such a girl." She joked. "Thank you."

He leaned in and gave her a long warm hug..she pulled away and slowly they wound up staring into one another's eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Always." He whispered back and before he knew it his lips were crashing into hers.

Peyton knew it was coming, and she just couldn't say no. She grabbed a lock of his hair and kissed him passionately. His hands roamed around her body making her moan out loud. Slowly he laid her down and they were taking each other clothing off. He kissed her neck as he rubbed his hand up and down her thigh, making his way to her middle section.

Peyton moaned out loud as he entered two fingers and kissed her even harder. She reached her way to her drawer and pulled out a condom and handed it to him. He kissed her lips and then nose as he put it on and looked her in her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"are you?" she panted.

"No." he whispered.

"Me either."

They stared at each other before he went down and kissed her on her lips and she wrapped her legs around him and he pushed his way into her. Together they moaned in pleasure as he pumped himself back and fourth.

They knew it was wrong.

They knew it would kill about Jake and Brooke.

But at that moment, they just didn't care.

"Peyton.." He whispered. "Peyton..

She stared into those beautiful green eyes, she loved those beautiful green eyes.

"Peyton..Peyton wake up!"

She jolted awake and had to think for a minute.

"Dad?"

"Who were you expecting? Now I love my grandchild, but the boy is dying to go to the park and has been running around for the past half an hour dying to go and I believe his mother promised to take him."

"What..oh yeah sure let me get up."

He smiled and left the room as she shook her head trying to get the dream out of her mind. That was it , that was the beginning of choices she would make that changed her entire world.

She still had chills up and down her arms, and it was odd to think that she was sleeping in the same bed that it had happened in.

"Mom!" The loud yell from down the stairs caught her attention.

"Yes pumpkin?"

She heard the tiny footsteps running up the stairs and he had his baseball cap and glove on.

"Dude! Your not even dressed, grandpa said we could play catch, I told him you threw like a girl."

She smiled. "Dude, number one I am a girl and number two I'll be ready in a minute."

He laughed. "Fine I'm counting."

"Well before you do that why don't you come and give your mother a kiss good morning?"

He wrapped himself around her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She sat him on her lab and kissed his head.

"Love you pumpkin."

"Mommm." He warned her.

"Oh right you hate that name, may bad."

He giggled and looked up and she stared into those beautiful eyes.

Those beautiful green eyes…


	14. Back to reality

Haley felt her heart pumping and the sweat making its way down her back. She kept her breathing steady and her concentration on the music. Every now and then she would look down at her watch, 20 more minutes, 10 more minutes, 8 more minutes, 5 more minutes. Finally her alarm went off and she slowed her pace. She had started running everyday about three years ago, and it was one of the best things she could have done for herself. Every day for an hour she would just forget about everything and everyone and just focus on running as well as she could.

As she sipped from her water bottle that she carried in her hands while running and took out her earphones from her I-pod she walked to the same spot she did every day after running. She listened, and there was nothing. No sound, no one around.

Just the way she wanted it. This was their time together, and she didn't want any distractions.

Haley fanned herself off as the sweat continued to fall down her back as she made her way closer to her destination. She smiled sadly when she finally came to a halt and sat down. Right in front of her was a tomb stone and it read **Rebecca Lynn James-Scott : February 5****th**** 2009-February 6****th**** 2009 Rest in peace angel.**

"Good morning baby." Haley spoke. " How's my little angel today? You know I dreamt about you last night again. It was a new one this time. It was me you and your daddy, and we were just going for a walk, that's it. Just a beautiful day, like today, and the three of us were out as a family. You were laughing, oh you were so beautiful baby. You had your daddy's eyes, but defiantly my laugh. Then after we walked for a while we got some ice cream." Haley laughed in remembrance of her dream. "Your daddy gave you some even though I told him not to, and you loved it. You had gotten chocolate all over your face and clothes, oh but you were just too cute. You just kept giggling and expecting more. I just wanted to thank you angel, because I woke up with a smile on my face today, and your preciouses giggle in my mind. Well at least that is how I imagined how your giggle would sound. It be beautiful, just like you sweetie. Your sweet angelic laugh, would always make me smile. It does now and I don't even know if its real." Haley wiped a tear falling from her eye.

"That's the beauty of a dream I suppose. I can dream about you in every way. Your smile, your laugh, your cry, your first words, first steps, first day of school…everything."

Haley shivered. The sun was still shining brightly but everything she visited this place she got a cold shiver down her back.

"I miss you and love you sweet angel. Mommy loves you. I'll be back tomorrow, same time." She smiled as she placed a sweet kiss on the top of the stone.

And Haley knew she would keep true to her word, because since the day her daughter was buried in that ground she had visited every morning since. Talking to her daughter about anything and everything. She had only seen her alive for a short period of time.

Haley tried to say something in her sleep but it only came out as a mumble. She slowly opened her eyes to see that she was in a hospital room, and Nathan was there looking very worried.

"_Nathan." She cried. "Nathan what's happening?" _

_Nathan looked at her, but said nothing. Instead he got up and left the room only to return a few moments later with a nurse who was looking very upset._

"_Mrs. Scott how are you feeling?"_

_It was then Haley noticed that she no longer had the large round belly and then she quickly remembered the accident._

"_Oh my goodness, where is she? Where's my baby?"_

"_Mrs. Scott.."_

"_Nathan where is she? Where is our baby, please tell me… please tell me where she is." Haley was sobbing now._

"_Mrs. Scott your daughter is in critical condition right now, she is in a separate room but you are more then welcome to go and visit her if you feel up to it."_

"_Of course I feel up to it." She yelled as she got up as fast as she could and was suddenly filled with pain all over her body. She cried out in pain looking at Nathan for comfort but saw that he did not even flinch._

"_Mrs. Scott there is something you must know before you go and see her." The nurse spoke carefully. "She was injured pretty badly, we preformed a cesarean section, and we are lucky she came out alive from that."_

"_What are you saying." Haley asked, terrified of the answer._

"_I'm so sorry Mrs. Scott, your daughter doesn't look like she is going to make it through the night."_

_If his arms didn't catch her she would have surly of fell to the ground. Haley looked up to see that it was not her husband that had caught her, but Lucas. _

"_It's going to be okay." He kept whispering to her as she cried harder then ever on his shoulder. She was shaking so hard that he suggested waiting a little while longer but she bluntly refused. So Haley, Lucas, and Nathan headed down to see her. Haley was so focused on getting down there to see her, she barely noticed that she herself was pretty banged up from the wreckage. Lucas had to keep reminding her to slow down, she had a sprained ankle, a broken wrist and a pretty bad cut on her head._

_When she finally saw her a whole new wave of feelings rushed over her. She was in awe of how beautiful and tiny she was, in shock of all the tubes in her and how delicate she looked, how guilty she felt that if she wasn't so damn stubborn that instead of lying on a table just moments from death, her baby girl would be in her arms._

_She looked up and met eyes with Nathan, she reached her hand out to him, her eyes practically begging him to hold her, but instead his eyes watered up and he walked over to Rebecca and looked down at her._

Haley snapped back into reality and took a deep breathe. She put her head phones back in and started to run back home. Back to real life. Back to the truth. Back to Reality.


	15. Crash into you

Nathan ran up and jumped and slammed the ball hard into the hoop. He picked it back up and dribbled hard and took a shot and it swished right in the net.

Nathan was bored earlier at work and decided to take a break and play some basketball in his front yard. When he had his own house being built he specifically asked for his own personal basketball court, and it was probably one of his best ideas.

There was no way he could go to the river court. One being it was to far away to just run to and shoot around any more, and two he did not want to run into his brother or ex wife.

So whenever he had a chance he would take some personal time and spend moments with the game that he loved. It was peaceful and calm and relaxing.

CRASH!

There was a sound of glass breaking and horn going off and Nathan quickly ran out front as fast as he could.

"Dammit! Shit! Mother fucker!"

"Well you got quite a mouth on you." Nathan said.

The young girl in the car spun around and instantly both of their jaws dropped.

"Nathan?"

"Brooke?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nathan asked. "Actually more importantly what the hell is your car doing crashed into mine?"

"Well hello to you too." Brooke said sarcastically.

"I didn't say hello." Nathan told her. "What the fuck happened out here?"

"Oh and I have a dirty mouth?" Brooke snapped. "Listen I'm sorry I just rented this car like not even a day ago and I was trying to go and have a nice spa day up town and I was driving and I accidentally dropped my cell phone I was trying to pick it up and before I knew it I was hitting your car."

"You dropped your cell phone?" He repeated. "That's the reason why my car is totaled?"

"It's not totaled you freaking drama queen. Its just a fender bender, and before you start your whining don't worry I can take care if it I have insurance."

"Yeah you better, this car is important." Nathan told her.

"Yeah well if it's so important then why is it out here in the street and not in your fancy shmancy garage or driveway?"

"Because Mrs. Know it all, I'm getting my driveway repaved and my garage painted, so I thought the street would be okay for a few days, but that was before I knew you were back in town."

"Well aren't you just the ray of sunshine. You know you were always an ass, but damn time sure made you miserable."

"What can you do?" He said sarcastically.

"Damn Nathan what the hell is your problem? I mean I'm gone for freaking what? Ten years, I know a lot has changed and I thought maybe when I would see some of my old friends they'd be somewhat happy to see me but all I got so far was shit!"

"You can't just show up and be expected with open arms and hugs and kisses, its not high school Brooke, people don't worship you any more."

"Did I say I wanted them too? I mean with Peyton yeah, I still have problems with here, there was no way I wanted to be all buddy buddy with her again, but then I see Haley who I thought I left being very close to, and you I mean we never were best friends but we got along. The two of you have changed so unbelievably much."

"Yeah well that's life Brooke. People change. People are mean. Life's a bitch."

"Nathan." Brooke said, with a caring voice. "Listen I'm sorry."

"For?" 

"For being a totally spazz ass right now. I haven't seen you in a very long time and I don't want to argue with you."

"You mean argue any more? We just spent the past three minutes bitching."

"If I remember correctly you were the one bitching." Brooke joked.

Nathan didn't say anything.

"I know this is like the weirdest place to meet and greet but could I maybe use your phone, we could call the police and maybe sit down and talk?"

"I don't know Brooke I got a lot of work to do."

"Oh come on are you really that busy that you can't hang around with an old friend, especially one that looks this good?"

He smiled and shrugged. "For a bit I guess."

She smiled and hugged him and they walked inside. They called the police, got the whole thing situated and Nathan poured them both some coffee and they sat down on his patio.

"So I'm guessing your doing good? I mean the place is beautiful" Brook asked.

"Thanks." He smiled. "Yeah I'm alright. I mean me and my dad went into business together. He's the mayor, and we practically run everything here."

"Wow, that seems amazing. So it's like basically running your own town."

"Exactly." He smiled.

"Not how I would have pictured it when I left." She smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "Okay ew, sorry but this is disgusting." She giggled.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that as talented as you are, coffee making is not one of them."

"No, not about the coffee, about how you pictured I'd be when you left."

Brooke was silent for a minute.

"I just mean..things were really different Nathan."

"What things Brooke?"

Something's wrong Brooke thought. She had definitely hit a nerve.

"You know Nathan. Listen this is not how I would of liked to start our conversation but, I just wanted to say how sorry I am, for everything."

Nathan was silent.

"I ran into Haley, and she didn't go into much detail about what happened but I know that it was awful and I'm sorry you lost your baby. I'm sorry about you and Haley, and I'm sorry I wasn't there."

She looked up at Nathan and he was shaking.

"Get out."

"What?" She asked. "Look Nathan I'm sorry if I upset you but I really would like to just talk."

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Brooke jumped as he took his coffee mug and threw it against the ground.

"Nathan I.."

He ran up and got in her face.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MY LIFE OR ME. YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MY MARRIAGE AND YOU NOTHING OF MY BABY."

"Nathan I'm sorry." Brooke was starting to cry, she had never seen him act like this.

"Did Haley set you up to this? Coming over here and trying to make me feel bad, did she?"

"No..No I swear."

"Get out. I never want to see you again." He spoke.

"Nathan I'm sorry, what did I do?"

"NOW!" he snapped.

"You've changed." She whispered.

"Yeah I have Brooke. I lost my baby, and my wife. Two of the most important things I've ever had and there is not a damn thing I can do about it. You know nothing of my life and what I've been through. You were to busy worrying about your stupid pathetic life to care. Guess what I don't really give a shit because its whatever, but the fact that you think you can just act like nothings changed after all this time and try and get in my business like that. You gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Nathan I wasn't trying too, I just…I wanted to help."

Nathan just looked at her and shook his head and walked away. Brooke was shocked and left, walking the whole way home and crying and what had just happened.

Nathan went inside and after grabbing a big bottle of Tequila he went right upstairs to his room and opened his closet and went to a box he had at the top. It was quite big and he pulled it out and took a swig from the bottle before opening the top.

Inside was full of picture of himself and Haley. From when they were dating, married, pregnant, and that day in the hospital. There were no pictures of Haley and himself there. No pictures of him smiling. But there was a few of a tiny baby in a hospital bed with many tubes all around her.

Nathan looked threw all of pictures while drinking that entire bottle and crying harder then ever.


	16. The Devil and the youngin'

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Dad, I mean it can be a handful. A day at the zoo with your ten-year-old grandson sounds all peachy keen, but in reality it could get hectic. First he'll want to buy everything, then he'll want to see everything, then touch everything. He just doesn't like hearing no."

"Sounds like his mother when she was child."

Peyton scowled. "I was an angel child."

Her dad let out a loud laugh and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ready grandpa!" Erick yelled as he ran downstairs with his baseball cap on. Peyton smiled at him. He was enjoying every second of spending time in Tree Hill. He loved his grandfather very much, Larry lovedd his grandson just the same. Peyton hated thinking about the fact that they would be leaving really soon. She wished she could stay, but she had a life in New York now.

She was excited to get back to her job. After Erick was about eight or nine is when she really started pushing the music career. She had a few okay jobs but got this great opportunity with this new guy who was starting his own record label.

His name was Tom Johnson and he knew his stuff. Of course Peyton didn't start at the top, and to this very day she knew she had a lot of work ahead of her, but she was getting there. Right before she left to come back to Tree Hill she was helping to try and sign a new band , _Whistle Due_ with them but they didn't seem to interested. Peyton was determined to get them to when she returned.

After saying goodbye Peyton found it kind of eerie to be alone in her old house again. In fact just being alone at all. Ever since Erick was born she was never alone. She took her time rummaging through her old things, smiling at old photos, and even listening to her old records when her phone rang.

It was Tom's assistant Jill.

"Hey Jill." Peyton answered.

"Hey Peyton, I'm really sorry to hear about you're friend passing, how are things?"

"Thanks Jill, yeah it was really sad but you know he lived a good life. He was a good man."

"Yeah."

"So what's up, how's work."

Pause.

"Well that is actually what I was calling you about Peyton."

"Oh yeah what about?"

"Its just, Abigail has been doing really well since you left."

Abigail was Peyton's new assistant.

"I'm glad to hear it. I wasn't to sure about her at first but she's great.

"Well she's been doing really really good Peyton...Really good."

Peyton started to get a little concerned.

"Okay."

"She even got _Whistle Due _to sign with us two days ago."

"What? How? That's supposed to be my band."

"Peyton I don't know, I get here the other day and Tom is ranting and raving about how wonderful she is and now she is working on this young girl, her voice is amazing, Tom wants her really bad and she is about a day away from getting her to sign."

"What?!" Peyton yelled. "So what are you saying Abigail gets a promotion and I have to wait…again."

"No."

"Thank god." Peyton sat down on her couch.

"I'm saying that she gets the promotion and you get fired." Jill blurted out.

"WHAT!" She screamed. "FIRED? I …I can't doesn't he know how important that job is for me. Jill I have a son to take care of."

"That is one of Tom's reasons of firing you. You just have to take care of Erick all the time."

"He is my son and I'm a single parent!"

"He says your good, but you're just not cut out for this business."

"What." She repeated.

"Peyton I'm really sorry. I loved working with you, and I'm really going to miss you. But I have to go. Abigail felt horrible and she packed all your stuff up and left it in your apartment."

Peyton laughed in spite of the situation. "Wow, she's really nice."

"I'm sorry Peyton. Good Luck."

Peyton hung up the phone with her eyes filling with tears and her mouth wide open.

"Shit." She said out loud.

She wiped at her eyes and grabbed her purse. She did not want to have to sit alone all day and think about how her future seemed royally fucked. She ran to the local coffee shop and sat outside swirling her spoon around in her coffee.

"Muffin?"

Peyton looked up and saw a familiar face. She was younger then Peyton. She had long blonde hair, which was pulled up into a ponytail, and she had a t-shirt on with a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee.

"Do I know you?"

"Uh, I don't think so. But I know you, Peyton Sawyer. Moved to New York. Slept with Lucas, even though Brooke was dating him. And you have an incredibly hot dad, so I've heard."

Now it clicked.

"You're Brooke's friend right? I saw you at Whitey's memorial."

"Sister."

"What?"

"Step sister, my dad married her mom."

"Wow, I had no idea."

"You would if you didn't betray my sister all those years ago."

"If you've come over to try and make me feel bad you can just give up, I'm not trying to put up with any more bull shit today."

"Lucky for you I'm not here for that."

"Then you must know I'm like the devil to Brooke Davis at the current moment, so why are you being so friendly, starting conversation, and offering me a muffin."

"Well I'm friendly to everyone…most of the time, I've heard so much about you over the years I was a bit curious to see how you were in person, and this muffin taste like ass, so for my sister I thought I'd offer it to you." Alexa put it down in front of Peyton with a big smile.

"What's your name again?"

"Alexa, so are you going back to where you live now anytime soon."

"It's New York...and uhh..i...i don't know." Peyton stuttered like an idiot.

"New York sucks, why would you even want to live there."

"I have my reasons." Peyton told her taking a bite out of the muffin and spitting it out. "Ew."

"Told you." Alexa smiled. "So are one of you're reasons the fact that my sister is here?"

"Your sister doesn't live here any more, and I'm pretty sure soon enough she'll go back to wherever the hell it is you two live now."

"Charlotte."

"That close?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know about us going back."

"Why's that?"

"I have my reasons."

Peyton hinted at a smile.

"You know Brooke would probably have your head for sitting with me right now."

"Not really, not if I explained why I was here."

"And why is that?" Peyton asked.

"I guess I just want to know why you did it. How you could do it, I mean I know I got Brooke's side of everything but she really doesn't lie about things like that. Why did you do that to her? You two were like sisters."

Peyton looked down. "I wasn't thinking."

"That's bull shit and you know it. She didn't come across you're mind at all. Not once?"

"You know I don't really see how any of this is you're business." Peyton snapped.

"Brooke's my sister, Peyton. She's looked out for me for years. Now I'm doing the same for her. You really hurt her Peyton, more then you'll ever know. You know she's only had one serious boyfriend since she moved to Charlotte."

Peyton was silent.

"Not to mention the fact that she just ran out of her wedding before we got here."

"She did what?" Peyton asked.

"Oh shit." Alexa put her hands to her mouth, ready to kick her own ass. "I should not have said that, I should not have said that."

"Are you serious, is that why Brooke has stayed for so long?"

"I gotta go."

"Alexa."

"Please forget this conversation Peyton. I did not just tell you that, its private stuff okay? Just…please."

With that she walked away cursing herself under her breathe as Peyton continued to sit her mind boggling at the news she just heard.


	17. A package for Haley James

**Howdy. So I'm thinking this story might be one of the longest I've done. I'm trying to work in a lot of twists and turns and a whole bunch of those "OH MY GOD" moments. Idk if i can, but we'll see. Haha, i just wanted to thank everyone who has been sticking with this story, and thanks for everyone that has commented. I appreciate it :)**

Haley was sitting on her front porch drinking coffee in the late afternoon. She curled up with shorts and a tank top on, and was reading a good book. She was so into it she didn't even here the car pull up the driveway, or the door closing or opening. She was completely oblivious that someone was walking up to her until she heard them clear their throat.

She looked up and raised her eyebrow. There was a girl standing in front of her with a beautiful red top on, and a black skirt , with beautiful jeweled shoes to match. However Haley couldn't see her face because whoever it was, and Haley had a pretty good idea who was, was holding a big flowerpot filled with beautiful lilies in it, in front of her face.

"Hello?" Haley finally asked.

"Oh yes Hello, delivery for Mrs. Haley James." Said the person, with an extremely fake British accent.

"Oh yeah? From who?" Haley asked.

"From a Mrs. Brooke Davis. She even wrote a card, saying how sorry she is and she hopes somewhere in your heart you can forgive her because she really does love you and she is going to do anything to prove to you how she is sorry, and will always be there for you from now on. Always."

"Hi Brooke." Haley finally said.

Brooke put down the flowers and smiled slightly. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Lucky guess."

Brooke handed her the flowers and took a seat next to her. "You're house is lovely."

"Thanks." Haley smiled. "Is that why you came by?"

"No." Brooke sighed. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. Truly sorry, and you are right I'm a bad friend. Horrible, I was so wrapped up in my own problems I didn't even think of you. But Haley I'm different now, I promise. And I'm going to do anything to prove that you to and trust me ill do anything."

"How so? Shouldn't you be going back to Charlotte soon?"

"No. Considering I'm moving back home."

"What?" Haley yelled.

"Yeah, I can't go back there." Brooke told her.

"Why?"

"I just…I can't."

"Why what did you do?"

Brooked sighed, she did not want to talk about this at all, but Haley was actually talking to her she didn't' want to ruin it.

"Well for starters I need to be away from my ex-fiance."

"What? You were engaged?"

"Yeah, then I kind of ran out on our wedding day and wound up here."

"What?"

"Then I called to apologize and found out he and my best friend are now together and are planning their family out already."

Haley just shook her head.

"When are you going to stop running Brooke?" Haley asked.

Brooke was silent.

"Jesus I mean, you run away from here all those years ago, you run away from your wedding. Now what you'll stay here for a while and when things get tough you'll run away again?"

"No." Brooke told her.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because you're right. I need to stop running, and isn't the best place to start that is by coming back where it started?"

Haley looked at her.

"I ran away from everything here because of what happened. I didn't even look back, and I regret it very much. I mean I got a lot of great things out of it, I have some pretty good friends back at Charlotte, I got an incredible step sister, and my mother and I are finally close. But in comparison to what I lost? I just, I don't know Haley."

"Like what?'

"Like you." Brooke started to tear up. "As much as I love my friends in Charlotte, they don't compare to you. When we talked at the grocery store, and I saw how much you hated me, and how disgusted you were with my actions I just, I felt horrible about myself. I still do. And I also feel like I lost all of my good memories here."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever I think of Tree Hill I only think of two people. I'm guessing you know who they are. I just, I never think of the good times, only the bad. I never think of the good times I had here, with you …and with them."

"A lot has changed Brooke."

"And I'm sorry I missed it, I am. I'm sorry that you had to go through everything that you did."

Haley nodded.

"You know it was easy hating you." Haley laughed lightly. " It's easy when you find someone else to blame. It's easy to just pin everything on them and just let everything out, but it so hard when you realize that the person you should be yelling at is yourself."

Brooke looked confused.

"You had a life Brooke, and yeah even though it was messed up you didn't call, you had your reasons. You were hurt and I get that. I just, I wanted to blame you so badly for what happened to me so I did."

"Haley what did happen, I mean I accidentally ran into Nathan the other day and… he is so angry.. so different."

"You talked to Nathan?"

"Trust me I didn't mean to, when I say I ran into him…I mean I actually ran into his car."

"What?"

"Yeah I ran into it by accident, he wasn't in it thank god, but we talked for a bit, then I stupidly brought up you, he flipped and told me to get out of his house."

"He hates me." Haley told her.

"I don't believe that. What happened Haley?"

Haley opened her mouth to talk but just couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry Brooke, it's just to hard."

"Its okay." Brooke said immediately. "I didn't come over here to dig up dirt, I just wanted to tell you how I felt and I wanted us to start over. I wanted us to be friends again Haley."

Haley was silent.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Really?" Brooke felt herself tearing up again.

"Yeah. I've missed you Brooke."

"I've missed you too."

The girls hugged each other and both of them started to cry. Then they started to laugh at themselves crying.

"We are such girls." Brooke smiled, wiping at her eyes.

"I'm glad you are back Brooke." Haley smiled.

"Me too, now if you don't mind newest friend." Brooke smiled big. " I need to use you're bathroom, no need to get up I'm sure I can find it."

Haley nodded and as soon as Brooke got she realized who was in there.

"Brooke wait!"

Too late, Brooke already was walking inside at the same time Lucas was walking out of the living room; he had come over earlier to help Haley with her T.V.

He walked out when she walked in and they both ran into each other. Both of their mouths dropped.

There she was. Brooke Davis, Lucas thought. The girl he thought about every day, the girl who invaded his thoughts and dreams constantly.

"Oh my god." Brooke gaped. "Lucas…"


	18. I'm the guy for you

Both Brooke and Lucas stared at each other for a few moments, bewildered that they were actually standing a few feet away from one another.

"Brooke." He whispered.

She nervously looked at him, then at Haley, then back to him.

"I gotta go, sorry." She mumbled. She waved faintly at Haley, got in her car and drove away.

She didn't even look back as she drove and pulled off on the side of a road and just went over what just happened in her head. However she didn't have much time when someone knocked at the window.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed.

"Sorry, sorry!" He yelled with his hands in the air.

She looked at him through the window.

"Are you going to come out?"

"Why are you here?" She asked.

He held up a black purse and in the corner there was a c/b on it.

"Very stylish." He smiled.

She smiled back and opened the door as he handed her the purse.

He tried not to gawk at her too much, but she looked absolutely radiant. He thought about her a lot over the years, trying to figure out just how beautiful she would actually look when he saw her, but in reality it did not even compare. Brooke Davis was absolutely gorgeous to him.

"Hi." He smiled idiotically at her.

"Hi." She responded fast.

They mechanically gave each other a hug, Brooke feeling slightly awkward at first, but she went to pull away Lucas held on to her tight and held her for a bit longer.

"So this is a bit.."

"Awkward?" Lucas finished.

"Nice choice of wording." She giggled. "It's good to see you Lucas."

"You too Brooke, I've missed you."

Brooke didn't answer she just smiled.

"I'm sorry I acted weird back there."

"It's okay, I know I'm not the looker I used to be but you know, must girls don't run away from me when they see me, they just kind of make a grossed out face and turn away." He laughed.

She nervously laughed along.

"So how have you been?"

"Pretty good." Lucas told her. "Me and Keith are running his body shop together, he and my mom are together now. They aren't married…yet." He laughed. "But they be will soon enough I'm sure. What about you, what has Brooke Davis been up to these past years?"

"Clothes over Bro's." Brooke smiled pointing to the design on her handbag.

"Wow."

"Yeah, nothing really major but I do own my own shop in Charlotte, and we are doing great. I mean think about it, me the actual businesswomen. I mean my designs are actually pretty good, and the people like me, my employees love me, and my mother is proud of me." She smiled.

"Wow, so when are you going back?"

Brooke froze for a moment.

"I don't think I'm going back for a while."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Tree Hill defiantly needs it's own Clothes over Bro's store here."

"Wow, really Brooke that's awesome." He smiled and hugged her again. The moment his arms wrapped around her, her mind went scrambling a million different directions.

Their first date.

The first time they had sex.

The first time he told her he loved her.

Peyton.

Fighting.

Heartache.

Forgiveness.

The first time he actually said and meant _I love you_.

The first time they actually made love.

Peyton again.

Cheating.

Lying.

"Woah." Brooke pushed him away.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"This." She told him. "I just, I cant do this."

"Do what? Talk to me."

"Yes." Brooke nodded. "I'm sorry Lucas. I thought I could handle this, all of this."  
"Brooke."

"I mean with you, and Peyton, and me being back here I just I told myself I could handle it. I mean Jesus Christ it's been ten years!" She laughed in spite of the situation.

"Brooke."

"I'm sorry Lucas I really am. But I just I can't do this, it's to fucking hard right now. I know you might not be able to understand that but it is okay? Please just leave me alone."

"Brooke."

"Please."

Without even listening to him she got back in her car and quickly drove away. Lucas continued standing there.

"I love you Brooke." He spoke out loud. "I always have and I always will. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for everything."

He stood there for longer then he could remember and just watched the road. Wishing and praying that she would turn around and come back. Just like he did all those years ago when she left. He just wished and prayed she would return.

"Ten years." He said out loud. "It took her ten years to return, but she did, she came back." He looked up the road again.

"I waited for you Brooke, ill wait forever, and if you need me to wait until you are ready for me then I'll wait. One day you'll see it Brooke Davis, I'm the guy for you."


	19. Mrs Scott

Haley rolled over on to her side and looked at the clock.

**2:45 **

She sighed as she rolled back over. It was just another restless night for her, where she was tossing and turning and unable to sleep. She kept readjusting herself and trying to make herself comfortable before she got up and decided to make herself a cup of hot chocolate. She put the water on and sat down at the table as she went through some mail that was on the table. She was rummaging through when her heart stopped as she saw an envelope that read **Mrs. Scott**. She hadn't seen that name on her mail in years and it immediately jolted her back to another time.

_Haley wiped at her forehead as she worked over the boiling water. There was a delicious aroma throughout the house thanks to her cooking, but it took her all day and she was exhausted. She was cooking pasta and meatballs for Nathan today, along with her special double chocolate cake for dessert._

_Time went by as Haley finished up dinner, and went to her room and took a quick shower, did her hair as natural loose curls, just how Nathan loved it, and slipped on her little black dress. She sprayed herself with her perfume and set out the table. The moment the last fork was in place she heard Nathan's car and her heart dropped. Tonight was the night. Tonight she had to tell him._

_Nathan was yawning when he opened the door and he had to do a double take at what he saw, Haley standing there in a simple, yet beautiful black dress and a delicious looking and smelling dinner on the table._

"_Haley, what is all this?" He asked._

"_It's for you." She told him as she took his coat and gave him a long kiss._

"_What for?" He asked her with a smile._

"_You'll see."_

_They sat down and talked about their days and as Nathan was finished Haley sat him on the couch and she started to give him a back rub._

"_Okay what do you want and how much is it going to cost me?" He joked._

"_Husband!" Haley smacked him. "Why can't you just except the fact that I just make a nice dinner for you?"_

"_Because as much as I love these kind of surprises, I could tell something is up from the look in your eye."_

_She smiled._

"_You say you like surprises?" She questioned._

_He stared at her. "Some."_

"_Okay." She nodded._

_He took her hand and kissed it. "What is it Haley?"_

"_What?"_

"_Is there something going on?"_

_She nodded._

"_What?"_

_She opened her mouth to say it, but she just couldn't. _

"_Come on baby you are starting to scare me."_

"_Hold on." She told him as she ran to her room and came back with a cd in her hand._

_She put it in the CD player and pressed play and closed her eyes as she sat down next to Nathan._

"_This is the surprise." She whispered._

_Nathan listened and he thought Haley was going crazy until he heard it. There was a beating, a light heart beat, there was a heart beatt being played._

"_H..Haley?" He stuttered._

_She grabbed his hand and placed it onto her stomach and nodded._

"_That's…" He looked down at his hand on her stomach and started to shake._

"_Yeah." She shook her head as she started to cry. "That's our baby's heartbeat, I..i thought I pregnant for weeks but I was so scared to say anything. I didn't want to tell you unless I was sure, so when I went he told he I could have the heart beat put on a disc, and I thought that would be the perfect way to tell you. You..you aren't mad are you?"_

_She looked up at him and he was still staring at her belly. _

"_No." He finally whispered. "I'm not mad, I'm just…I'm going to be a father." He smiled even wider._

"_Yeah." Haley nodded, big grin on her face._

"_And…and you're going to be a mother, and I'm going to be a father, and oh god Haley were going to be parents!" He yelled as he jumped up and started to run around._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_You sit, sweetie you're pregnant I'll do this I'll take care of everything. And this.." He ran to the extra spare room they had. "This is going to be the baby's room, we'll go shopping for everything soon enough. Do you know what the baby is yet? Wait don't tell me, no tell, and no wait! Don't, never mind tell me, no, no, no, okay yea, hurry before I change my mind is it a boy or a girl?"_

_Haley just started to chuckle, "Nathan I don't know yet."_

"_Oh." He sat down next to her, "I'm going to be a father. Just think there is our baby, our little creation right there." He pointed to her stomach._

"_I know I can't believe it." Haley laughed. "We're parents!" She laughed again._

"_Dude, Haley this kid is going to be so good-looking!" He joked._

"_I love you Nathan. You are going to be such a good father."_

"_I love you too Haley, and you are going to be an even greater father. Thank you for being my wife, thank you for keeping my baby safe, I know you will. I love you."_

_He leaned in and gave her a long kiss and she kissed him back. She slipped her tongue in and felt his hands slowly slip under her dress and she moaned out loud. He carefully took pulled it over her head and did the same with his shirt. She kissed from his lips all the way down to his stomach and undid his pants and pulled them off. She moaned even louder as he laid her down and sucked around her neck and pulled off her bra and slipped his hands between her legs._

"_Nathan." She panted._

_He removed his boxers and her panties and gave her a hard passionate kiss before entering her. She let out a loud yell and he kissed all around her face and breast as he slowly moved back and forth, making sure he was pleasing to her and easy enough for the baby inside of her._

_She grabbed his face and kissed him and looked into his eyes, as he did the same. When they were finally done he rolled over next to her as they both breathed heavily and he kissed her again. _

"_I love you Haley."_

"_I love you too Nathan."_

_She nestled into his arms and they both fell asleep with both of their hands placed securely on Haley's belly._

There was a loud screeching whistle and Haley jumped up. Her kettle of water was now boiling and whistling so loud her ears hurt. She must have fallen asleep during her little trip down memory lane. As she poured her hot chocolate she felt shaky, she hadn't thought about that memory in a while. She went and sat back down at the table and grabbed that letter again.

"Mrs. Scott." She whispered staring at the name. "Not anymore." She whispered again as she went over and tossed in into the trash.


	20. The Father

"Okay well that's the last of it." Larry told Peyton as he walked out of the room with the last box of Peyton's stuff.

"I can't believe this that stupid little bitch Abigail!" Peyton mumbled under her breathe.

"Mom!" Erick came up from behind and yelled at her.

"Sorry sweetie."

"Sorry is not enough you know the rules."

Peyton smiled and pulled out a dollar and placed it into the jar that he was holding. It was called the 'swear jar' and whenever she or Erick said something mean or a curse word a dollar had to go into the jar.

"Wow mom that's bad, that's your fourth dollar today."

"Well I'm a little stressed that's all."

"So? You always said there is no excuse for dirty mouth."  
"Yea well I was wrong."

"Mom!"

"Joking!" She laughed putting her hands up. "Sorry babe, I'm just so angry."

"I'm actually psyched." Erick answered. "We get to live with grandpa, that's awesome!"

"You do know it's only temporary right? I mean eventually we'll get our own place…"

"No!" He yelled. "Mom please can we not go back to New York. I love Tree Hill, I want to stay here."

Peyton stared down at her son.

"You do?"

He nodded. "It's so much better then New York. I mean they have a basketball court right next to this river, its so awesome! I went there yesterday and met this cool kid named Anthony and we played one on one! And everywhere here is safe Mom. There is no scary alley's like New York, and this place smells good."

"What?" Peyton asked with a light laugh.

"New York always has this weird smell, I like the smell of Tree Hill."

"Well you are right about that."

"Please can we stay mom! Please, please, please!"

He got down on his hands and knees and pretended to kiss her feet. Peyton couldn't help but laugh. She sat down on the bed and took a deep breath. This is where her son wanted to stay. He had just explained it and begged her to do so. Peyton knew there would be problems but the look in her son eyes made that all okay.

"Okay." She nodded.

"What?" he asked.

"Okay we'll stay in Tree Hill, if it's really what you want."

"YES!" He jumped up and down.

"YES!" Larry yelled as he jumped out from behind the door.

"Dad!" Peyton yelled.

"Grandpa were you listening the whole time?"  
"Maybe." He laughed. "So you promise Peyton, you'll stay?"

"Promise." She nodded.

"Alright well that calls for a celebration!" He yelled. "We are going out tonight."

"No!" Peyton immediately yelled. "I mean, listen dad I'm sorry but I just don't really feel like going out tonight, can we just eat at home?"

Larry eyed his daughter and slowly nodded.

"Sure."

"I had some food at this awesome place today, we should eat there sometime." Erick chimed in.

"Yeah where's that?" Larry asked as Peyton picked up one of the boxes to sort through it.

"Karen's Café."

Peyton dropped the box and quickly spun around as Larry had a worried look on his face.

"What?" She asked him.

"This lady Karen owns it, she's really nice."

"Erick did she um, did she ask you her name?"

"Yeah I said it was Erick." He told them slightly confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

Peyton grabbed him by the arms.

"What did I tell you about talking to strangers? Huh?" She yelled.

"Sorry mom, but it was her café, she was just being nice."

"Did you tell her your last name? Did you say my name?"

"I..I.."

"Answer me!" She yelled.

"Peyton!" Larry yelled.

"Did you say my name? Did you say our last name, yes or no?"

"No!" Erick yelled, starting to cry. "Mom you're hurting me."

Peyton gasped and released him as he got up and ran to his grandfather.

"I..I'm sorry..I didn't mean to." She stuttered.

"It's okay buddy." Larry picked up his grandson and brought him to the other room to calm him down and came back to find Peyton sitting in the same spot.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I..i don't know what happened I just snapped" She replied.

"Peyton."

"Dad what am I going to do? I mean I can't move back here, I just I can't."

"You have got to stop running Peyton."

"Dad I..I told you I just I can't."

"Peyton I've kept my mouth shut a lot during these past years, I always let you do what you thought was best for the two of you but no more."

Peyton wiped at her eyes.

"You are staying here and you are going to figure out this mess."

"People are going to get hurt dad."

"They will be even more hurt because you have kept it a secret for so long. Now you must stop running."

She nodded.

"Stop thinking about yourself, and start thinking about Erick and his feelings. He needs his father."

Peyton nodded and started to cry. Larry went over to her and held her tight. Her father was right, and she knew it. Now came the scary part and actually admitting the truth to the father.


	21. The Hard Truth

Lucas sat down on his front porch along with his book, and a cup of coffee. He got comfortable and was about to start reading when he heard a friendly voice from the side.

"Hey buddy."

He looked up and placed his book down. "Hey right back at ya Hales."

She was in shorts in a tank top, and he knew she just got back from running.

"How was the run."

"It was fine, I'm all gross and sweaty though so I thought I'd run over and see you."

"Oh gee thanks." He laughed. "So what's up."

"Nothing really, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh right the Brooke bitch out."

"Hey." She smacked him.

"Sorry if I ruined your talk you two had."

"She had come over to apologize, we had a long talk and I think were going to be okay."

Lucas nodded. "How is she?"

"She's good. I really didn't get into detail too much; we are supposed to have lunch today. I do know she has a teenage step sister, that's really about all."

"It's crazy, one week it's just me and you, and the next Brooke and Peyton are back."

"I haven't talked to Peyton once." Haley admitted.

"I only did at Whitey's funeral, and the thing is she told me she was going home right away, I wonder why she's still here."

"How do you know she's still here?" Haley asked.

"I saw her at the grocery shop yesterday."

"You didn't say anything to her?"

"Would you?" Lucas asked. "I mean it's crazy enough having one of them back, but now both of them? I couldn't, I'll admit I'm just to scared." He laughed.

"Well Brooke's moving back, she's staying."

"Wow."

"Yeah." Haley sighed. "Crazy couple of weeks."

"I'd say that again."

"So you never really did go into detail about the conversation you and Brooke had the other day when she ran out."

"That's because there aint much to tell. She doesn't want to talk to me."

"You and Peyton both."

"IT sucks." Lucas admitted taking a sip from his coffee, I mean yeah I knew she wouldn't be exactly ecstatic to see me but it was like she was scared of me."

Haley was silent.

"Ten years is a long time, but I guess she's just not over it yet Luke."

"Yeah I know. But I just want her to know that I'm not that guy anymore."

"What guy would that be?"

"The liar, the cheater, the guy that holds in his feelings and lets them take over him."

Haley looked away.

"What?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"What is it Haley?"

"Lucas I just, I know that tone of yours and I think I know what your thinking."

"What?" He asked again.

"I know you've been missing her, me too, but please don't get your hopes up."  
"Haley…"

"Please don't think the two of you will end up back together. I just I don't want to see you get your heart crushed again. I've never seen you so broken, after Brooke left you were a mess."

"She's come home Haley."

"But not for you." She told him, it killed her but she had to say it. "Brooke is ready to come home and start her new life here, and I very much doubt that includes you."

"What did she tell you all of this?"

"No, but I do know her, and I know you, I just don't want anyone getting hurt."

Lucas felt his temper rising, he grabbed his coffee and his book and got up.

"Where are you going."

"Inside."

"What? Why?"

"I really don't want to say something I'll regret."

"Lucas I'm not trying to hurt you." Haley told him.

"I'll see you later Haley."

With that he slammed to door in her face.


	22. Civilized

Brooke bit her tongue and stared hard at the two toasters before her. She had officially bought a house in Tree Hill, and now all she had to do was supply herself with items she needed. She and Alexa had gone back to Charlotte and collected what was hers and after careful explanation to her mother and Alexa's father they agreed Alexa could stay a few more weeks, until school started. One of the things Jerry had gotten in the split was the toaster. Now Brooke was at the local store trying to buy one on her own.

"This one, or that one. Jesus it's not that hard." She muttered to herself.

"Okay I got some dvds, a dvd player, and this really bitchin ice cream scooper." Alexa announced as she walked over.

"We already have one." Brooke told her.

"No we have a regular boring ice cream scooper, this one is bitchin. When it his the ice cream it yells out 'Ice cream! Get your ice cream!'" 

"Wow." Brooke nodded.

"Well I think it's cool."

"Extremely." Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Okay sorry I forgot today was your bitch day my bad." 

"Uh! Sorry I just I can't decide which one of these to get. Jerry usually picked out this hard stuff."

"Its just a toaster."

"I use the toaster a lot." Brooke told her.

"For what?"

"Oh I don't know, to toast things?"

Alexa laughed out loud. "You just want to buy one because Jerry never let you pick out any of this kind of stuff."

"That's not true."  
"Yes it is. You got to decorate, buy all the pretty furniture, decide the paint colors, but he handled the appliances."

"Whatever."

"Just decide it doesn't matter."

"Well it's either between this one or that one."

Alexa looked at the two and then back at Brooke. 

"Dude are you serious? They are the same thing!"

"No they are not."

Alexa looked at the label. "Yes they are, the exact same thing, except this one is darker then that."

"Well I don't know which one I want."

"You are being ridiculous." Alexa told her.

"Which one do you like?" Brooke asked.

"The darker one."

"I think I like the lighter one." Brooke told her.

"Yeah, I agree."

Brooke and Alexa turned around to see Peyton Sawyer standing there. She had an awkward smile on her face and was looking at the two girls before her.

"Well in that case, I'll get the darker one." Brooke snapped as she turned around and grabbed it.

"I'll be over there." Alexa told them as she walked off, and accidentally dropped the items in her hand. Peyton helped her and smiled when she handed her the ice cream scooper. 

"Pretty sweet scooper, I have the same one." She smiled. Alexa huffed out loud and looked at Brooke who gave her the glare.

"Fine ill put it back." She mumbled under her breath. 

Brooke took another look at Peyton and then kept walking. "Brooke wait up. Is this really how its going to be?"

"How what's going to be?"

"This, me and you?"

"Peyton there is no me and you." Brooke told her.

"Brooke, it's been ten years."

"So?"

"So can you really hold a grudge against someone for that long?"

"I haven't had a problem so far."

Peyton laughed. "You are something you know that?"

Brooke took a deep breath. "What are you doing here Peyton?"  
"Well word is that you are moving back."

"So?"  
"So I thought I'd try and end this war considering that I'm moving back too."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"When did you decide this?"

"About a week ago. And before you go crawling on your high horse, I had no idea you were planning to move here."

"Great." Brooke mumbled. 

"Listen Brooke I know we have our problems but that's all in the past. This is the future now and I wanted to start fresh. Were not in high school anymore so I just, I wanted to know if we could be civilized adults." Peyton stuck out her hand.

"Your right Peyton, were not in high school anymore, so stop trying to be my best friend." Brooke told her and Peyton put down her hand. "I moved on, without you. Unfortunately I didn't know you would be living here as well when I decided to change my life and move back here but you are and so am I and that is just life. You want to be civilized? Fine. You know that I don't like you, so don't come up to me when I see you. We aren't friends, were just neighbors. I promise not to lash out on you, if you promise to stay away. That way, we can be civilized."

"Is that really what you want?"

"Doesn't really matter what I want Peyton. It's just the way it is. Now what do you say?"

"I miss you Brooke, I want to be more then just neighbors with you, I miss my friend."

Broke paused. "Peyton were not friends, I told you that."

"So that's it? All those years of friendship just forgotten about?"

"Peyton I don't forget, trust me."

Brooke stared long and hard at Peyton, who felt defeated. 

"Okay Brooke. I don't see it any other way."

"Civilized?" Brooke asked as she stuck out her hand.

Peyton sighed. Civilized is now the way it would be between them. The once upon a time best friends were now just a mere memory. Brooke and Peyton were no more then just neighbors, and Peyton had to accept that.

"Yeah." Peyton shook her hand. "Civilized."


	23. Haley did it first

Nathan Scott kept a long gaze at the pretty blonde at the end of the bar; she smiled lightly at him as she sucked down her dri

Nathan Scott kept a long gaze at the pretty blonde at the end of the bar; she smiled lightly at him as she sucked down her drink. He had a long day at work and he just needed to relax. His dad had been on his case about closing a deal with the local business trying to make it bigger. That was the annoying thing about Dan Scott, he always wanted everything bigger.

"Well if it isn't the man who works all the damn time."

Nathan looked to his left and smirked. "Well if it isn't the man that doesn't work at all."

"That's not true, Tim Smith works very hard."

"What kind of work do you do?"

"Well that's not important." He laughed. "How about buying your non working friend a really big drink."

Nathan did as he was asked as the two old friends sat back and tried to enjoy the night.  
"So I haven't seen you around in a while." Nathan told him.

"I've been around, but you haven't, I hear your doing great Nathan."

"I'm doing all right."

"By the look of things you're doing better then all right."

Nathan smiled.

"It's crazy. I've been working with my dad, something I never saw coming. And we've been doing well. Fuck man I practically own Tree Hill."  
"Yeah I've noticed, seems like everywhere I go to get a job you and your dad's name is somehow involved. I see your names on the billboards, the local handouts, and the papers. I'm proud of you Nate."

"Okay Tim, don't get all sappy on me, tonight that's the last thing I want."

"What? Two old friends can't compliment each other."

"Fuck no, at least not like that. Tell me about you, how have you been, you still a horny bastard?"

"No." Tim shook his head. "Okay yeah I am. What can I say, some things never change. In fact all the girls down at the strip club no my name, birthday, and what turns me on."

Nathan laughed out loud.

"You really haven't changed have you?"

"No, but you have. Listen don't take offense to this but I think its good your life changed."  
"What do you mean?"

"Your single again Nate. You don't have stupid Pucas breathing down you neck anymore, I see the old Nathan Scott, the badass. My old friend and I'm pretty excited."

Nathan remained silent.

"And the old Nathan Scott would take advantage of that lady down at the bar that's practically spilling out her tits trying to get your attention."

Nathan looked over and saw the blonde eyeing him seductively.

"Not interested."

Tim grabbed his heart and almost fell over. "How the hell can' t you be interested? Dude she's fucking hot."

"Then you can fuck her. I'm not looking for any tonight."

"Whatever your crazy."

Nathan shrugged.

"So you'd be cool with me trying to tap that?"

"I doubt you'll be tapping anything but good luck."

Tim smiled and started to walk away.

"Wait." Nathan smiled. "Here." He handed Tim two hundred dollars. "Try and buy her as much as you can, then you can probably get lucky a lot easier."

Tim looked as though he wanted to kiss Nathan but he gulped down the rest of his drink and walked over to the blonde. Nathan watched and chuckled as he immediately got turned away, but the Tim would not give up. After about twenty more tries a saddened Tim walked over defeated and mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Nathan laughed.

"She wants you."

Nathan raised his brow and smirked.  
"I told you I'm not interested."

Tim looked over at him "Come on man, just fuck her for me. Tell me everything so I can pretend like I did it."

"Ew dude."  
"She's hot what the hell do you care?"

Nathan looked at his watch. "I'm out of here."

"What? Come on dude, look at her."

"I have my own plans for tonight Tim."

A mischievous grin spread across Tim's face. "Oh with who?"

"None of your damn business."

"Well I didn't know you had 'other' plans tonight. My bad, she must be a real beauty if you are turning her town." He nudged to the blonde.

"Yeah, she is."

Nathan left and made the drive. He parked his car and pulled his jacket closer to him as the wind blew against his face. He felt his heart beat faster as he sat down next to his baby girl. He rubbed to stone that read,** Rebecca Lynn James-Scott : February 5th 2009-February 6th 2009 Rest in peace angel.** He smiled as he thought of how she would have grown. He thought about how she would have looked. If she would have resembled him more, or Haley. He thought of the day she would start school to the day she would graduate college. He thought of the day he could of walked her down the aisle as she told the world of how she was in love. He thought of the children she would have had. He thought about her, and their life and how it would have been.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. " I'm sorry my angel." Nathan closed his eyes at he remembered the painful past, and the events that led to his this terrible tragedy.

_Nathan was livid! He screamed as he punched the wall and it went right through. "How dare Haley, how dare she! She ruined him, she broke his heart! It was over, it was all over, how dare she! He was pacing back in forth his head spinning. She would be home soon, he could wait and talk to her. FUCK NO! He didn't want to talk to her, how dare she, how dare she! He wanted to call Lucas but couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't say the words out loud. Nathan was so angry he was shaking as he thought of something. He ran to his car and florid to her house. The light was on which indicated she was home. He sat there for a moment thinking._

_The house he sat in front of was a local waitress. Three weeks ago she had tried to seduce Nathan but he declined telling her he was happily married. She gave him her name, number and address in case he changed his mind. _

_"Why not." He thought. "If Haley can do it, so can i." _

_His mind was spinning so fast that he didn't even remember going up and ringing the door. She was surprised but instantly smiled when she saw he was at the door._

"_I thought you'd change your mind."_

_She led Nathan inside and instantly snaked her arms around his waist. He knew what he was about to do. It was wrong. He never thought he could be in this situation. In his heart he knew he couldn't but the recent events just kept burning in his head. He turned around and looked at the girl in front of him._

"_Haley did it first." He told himself, "She did it first."_


	24. Caught in the act

"Peyton what are we doing

"Peyton what are we doing?" Lucas asked as he sat down next to her on her bed. " What are we doing?"

"_I don't know Lucas." She answered honestly. _

"_We made a mistake."_

"_Twice." Peyton told him.  
"Peyton I love Brooke." _

"_And I love Jake." Peyton wiped away a tear. "That's why I feel terrible about this. I mean what are we doing? This isn't us. You are in love with my best friend and I'm in love with yours. We just made a mistake, and we can bury it."_

"_Can we? I mean I've been feeling so bad lately. I just, I don't know what to do."_

"_Yes we can Lucas, we're going to have to. It's going to kill them if they find out."_

"_I know." He told her. "We bury it."_

_She nodded and wiped away another tear. She hugged her "I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear. She pulled away and cried out again, they just couldn't stop. She pulled him closer and he met his lips with hers. He ran his fingers through her hair and laid her down on her bed as he kissed his way up and down her body. He sat up and took off his shirt and she took of hers as well. He kissed around her belly and took off her shorts and panties and then made his way up to her bra. He unclipped it and she grabbed onto him and his sucked around her breast. She flipped him over and they kissed, she slipped his tongue in her mouth and she kissed him hard, and passionate. She undid his pants and she was on top when he entered her. _

_She moved back and fourth as he grabbed on to her and surprised her when he flipped her over and moved harder and harder inside her._

"_Lucas!" She screamed out and kissed him again. _

_When he was done he rolled over and they were breathing heavy. She made circles on his chest and got up and gave him a long kiss on the lips._

"_Peyton?"_

_They both jumped and saw Peyton's boyfriend Jake in the doorway._

"_Oh my god Jake!" She screamed._

_The two of them jumped up and she was wrapped in the towel and he quickly tried to put on his pants._

"_What are you doing." He finally spoke._

"_Oh god I'm so sorry." She cried. "Its just, I'm sorry!" She tried to grab him but she pulled away._

"_Don't fucking touch me."_

"_Jake please." Lucas finally spoke._

"_You!" He pointed at him. "You can shut the fuck up. I just, I'm so shocked right now I don't know what to think. How could you two? How dare you? How long has this been going on?"_

"_Jake." Peyton cried.  
"You know what fuck it, I don't want to know. Fuck you both. We're done. Me and Brooke wanted to have a nice night tonight with the two of you but I guess you two had other plans. I think I'll head over there right now and try and let her down easy."_

"_Jake." Lucas was begging. "Please don't, Brooke."  
"Brooke is going to have her heart crushed. But I won't let you keep lying to her, I wont. And I'm sure as hell not letting her hear it from you. You don't deserve that. Fuck you both, and I hope you both burn in hell."_

_With that he spit on the ground in front of Peyton and walked out._

Peyton's heart pounded as she remembered that day. She was at her kitchen table and she had the phone in her hand and one more digit to dial to reach Jake. She hadn't spoken to him in years and was terrified of calling him, but she knew she had to do it. She closed her eyes and pressed it and put the phone to her ear. A few moments later she heard a women answer.

"Hi, may I please speak to Jake Jagelski? "


	25. Thunderstorms

Haley wiped her eyes as she left her daughters grave once more

Haley wiped her eyes as she left her daughters grave once more. It was a cloudy morning and Haley was on her normal run. She had just finished seeing her daughter and started to run home. The wind blew in her hair and she could feel the sweat dripping down her back. Haley concentrated on her running but it was hard, the sky started to get dark and she could tell it was about to storm. Her heart dropped as she tried to just ignore it. She hated it when it stormed; it was one of her biggest fears ever since _the incident._

Haley kept her pace as she felt water droplets from the sky starting to fall down on her. She tried running faster to try and avoid it but soon enough the rain was falling down hard and Haley was caught in the middle of it. She tried looking for shelter but it was useless, there was nothing. Her mind flew back to that day.

_The sky was dark and it was very musty outside, the storm was approaching.. She needed Nathan, she needed to tell him. She needed help. But he was nowhere to be found. Where could he be? Haley looked at herself in the mirror and cried out loud._

_"What just happened?" She asked herself. Haley couldn't stand it any longer. She grabbed the umbrella and went to go and find him. She tried his cell but he didn't answer. Haley could feel the storm getting closer; she was in the middle of town and had no idea where to find Nathan._

Haley knew there was nowhere to hide so she just ran, she ran as fast as she could. She tried to get to her house but it was to far, so she just wanted to get to the nearest shelter. All of this rain, this storm was making her think into the past, and she didn't want to, not at all.

_Haley started to cry as she started to feel some pains in her stomach. "Hold on baby." She told her unborn child. Haley looked around._

_"What am I doing?" She asked herself. She had just been through something horrible and she needed her husband but she couldn't find him. As if on cue she turned the corner and saw his car. She cried out loud and walked to it, wondering why he was parked there. Haley didn't recognize the house._

"_Nathan." She cried out. As she approached closer she heard the door open and her heart stopped. Nathan was walking out with his shirt off, and there was a familiar blonde face in the doorway. She had her shirt off as well and was grinning as he walked away. Haley stared horrified as he approached the car and he looked up and saw her._

"_N…Nathan." She cried. _

_He just stared at her, no emotion in his eyes. "Now you know how it feels."_

_With that he got in the car and sped off. It took Haley about three hours to get home. She had to stop and cry many times. Her head was spinning and she just couldn't get over what she saw. Clearly he had to be joking. When she finally got home he was not there, she was all-alone. She laid herself down on the bed and cried and cried. _

"_Ow." She sat up and grabbed her belly. There was pain and she felt the covers below her become wet. "Oh no!" She started to panic. She was in labor. She grabbed her cell phone and tried to call Nathan, no answer. She tried to call Lucas, no answer._

"_Ow!" She yelled again as another sharp pain caused her to cry out. She took some deep breaths and was about to dial 911 when the phone blinked and said 'low battery' she cried out loud because they didn't have a house phone. They only used their cell phones to save money._

_She dialed 911 anyway but as soon as it rang the phone died._

"_Help me." She cried out loud. She crawled over to the door and opened it and saw it was raining hard, thundering, lightening. "OW!" she screamed. "I need to get to a hospital, I need to get to a hospital."_

_She used all of her strength and crawled over to her car. The rain pouring down on her, she was shaking from the coldness, and fear. She got in the car and started to drive. It was very difficult because her stomach was so big and she was in pain. The rain was pouring hard and she was still crying. "It's okay baby, almost there." She kept saying._

_Haley wasn't realizing how fast she was going, there was another sharp pain which caused her to hang over, the car spun and she tried to slam on the breaks but there was no use. The car kept spinning and the last thing Haley remembered was her screaming for help._

Haley was starting to panic now, she was shaking so much that it was becoming harder for her to run, what seemed like hours she finally made it home. She ran right to her room and laid on her bed. Her hands were shaking and she started to cry once more. She hated Thunderstorms, she hated the past, she hated herself for that stupid mistake.


	26. A sprained ankle and a cramped leg

Brooke Davis was in a mood, and definitely not a good one. She had woken unusually early that day and decided to think about her health for once and thought going out for a run would be a good choice that day. It had started out good, she was trying to keep a good pace and hear breathing steady. She must have been to concentrated on that to notice the rock below her. Her left foot stepped right on it and caused her to fall down. She had tried to get up but her foot was definitely throbbing and even swelled up a bit. She knew she didn't break it but she definitely tweaked it. She cursed under her breath as she started to limp home, she had to break every few minutes because it was tiring.  
"So much for trying to get into shape." She muttered. "By this rate I won't be getting home till freaking midnight."

"Brooke?"

Brooke turned her head and almost fell over once more, but luckily caught herself this time. Lucas was walking up to her with a concerned look in his eyes.

"Brooke are you alright?"

"Lucas? What are you doing here?" She wanted to smack herself for asking such a stupid question. By his appearance he was obviously out for a run as well.

"Looks like I had the same idea you did, I was on a run."

"Oh fun." Brooke nodded "Well bye." She tried limping off but cursed when she put to much weight on her foot.

"Whoa easy." Lucas rushed to her side. "Looks like you sprained your ankle."

"No I'm fine, I'm just a drama queen." she lied, the last thing she wanted was to have Lucas help her. She tried once again to walk but the pressure hurt and Lucas once again rushed to her side.

"You definitely hurt your ankle, and you need my help." He told her. "Let me help you."

Brooke just looked at him.

"I swear I don't bite."

She rolled her eyes and he put her arm over his head as the two started to walk, with Brooke limping.

"So." Lucas started.

"Just because you are helping me doesn't mean we need to have a conversation."

"But it would make the time go by faster." He suggested

"But it would also annoy me."

"Okay so I guess you aren't over the last conversation we had."

"Lucas please, I just need to get home. My freaking ankle is aching up a storm, my hairs a mess. I'm sweaty and smelly and now I have you trying to make conversation with me."

"Sorry Brooke but come one I don't see you in ten years, and the one minute we have a conversation you spaz out and run off."

"Well sorry Lucas I didn't know that I had to have a conversation with you, I don't know why you think you deserve one."

"I don't." He told her. "I just thought.."

"What?" She snapped.

"Nothing just direct me to where you live."

Brooke nodded and concentrated on getting home and getting away from him. Minutes went by when her other leg was starting to cramp up. She was going to ignore it but it was really aching her putting all the pressure on it. She tried to ignore it, she didn't want to seem week. But soon enough the pain was getting to her and she had to stop.

"Lucas." She called out.

Lucas stopped, her voice indicated that she was in pain.

"I'm sorry can we please stop for a minute, now my other leg is cramping up."

"Yeah sure. " He stopped and the two of them sat on the curb together.

They sat and Lucas looked over and saw her rubbing her leg.

"How you feeling?" He asked.

"Like i got a sprained ankle and a cramped leg."

Lucas laughed, Brooke gave him a dirty look.

"You haven't changed much have you?"

She just looked at him and turned away. "I should have listened to Alexa." She mumbled.

"Who?" Lucas asked.

"My younger stepsister, she is here with me. She told me I should go to the movies with her instead, and not waste my time going running"  
"You have a younger step sister?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah, my mom remarried after I moved. She is seventeen."

"You said her name was Alexa?"

Brooked nodded, still rubbing her leg.

"What does she look like?'

Brooke shot him a dirty look. "Are you kidding me?"

"No! Oh god sorry Brooke I didn't mean it like that, but I met a girl at the cafe around the time of Whitey's funeral. She said her name was Alexa and she seemed around the age of 17."

Brooke remembered Alexa telling her about how she met Lucas that day.

"Oh." She stuttered. "Yeah that was her, she told me about that."

"But she told me she had a sister named..oh what was it?"

"Penelope." Brooke answered for him.

"Yeah."

"Well she wasn't going to tell you that I was her sister, she knows better then that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't even know about Whitey's death Lucas, I was even supposed to be in Tree Hill, it was just a really crazy coincidence and after riding on that damn bus all day she took me here..."

"Why were you on a bus?"

Brooke stopped talking, damn she had said to much.

"Never mind." She told him as she started to get up.

"What you have me interested now."

"I need to get home Lucas."

"You know it was odd that you were at the funeral, we had tried contacting you but no one knew where the hell you were, then the day of the funeral bam there you were."

"Lucky timing."

"Yeah."

"Can we go now."

"What that's all your going to tell me?" He smiled.

"Yes, and I shouldn't of told you any of that at all. I don't know what it is about you; you always know how to trick people in to tell you too much. Now if you don't mind please help me get home."

"Fine."

They started off walking again.

"Does this mean were okay again?"

BRooke didnt look at him. THe few moments they were talking she did feel comfortable with him and she seemed to forget the past for a bit. But the truth was, the past was still there, and Brooke Davis was not planning on being made a fool of again.

"No Lucas."

He kept his eyes on her. "Brooke."

"Listen I'm sorry but I didn't ask for your help here. I could have made it home on my own. But this doesn't mean were okay. I thought I made myself clear before I don't want to be okay with you, ever."

"Then what are you doing here Brooke? After all these years you decided to come back, and you don't' want to talk to me at all?"

"IN case you forgot Lucas Tree Hill is my home just as much as it is yours. I had to leave because of you and I don't plan on letting that happen again. I came home because I felt it was time, and I plan on staying and living my life here, and that doesn't mean that I have to become friends with everyone in the process."

Lucas listened to her.

"You and Peyton think you get instant forgiveness for what you did.."

"Brooke it's not instant it's been ten years! And it was in high school.."

"I don't' care Lucas, just like you didn't' care about my feelings then I don't care about yours now. Ten years? Ten years you think its all okay, you think that shit went away? Well it didn't. You have no idea what you did to me, you have no idea how that affected me. And worst of all, you just don't care."  
"Brooke I do care."

"no you don't, forget it i can get home myself."

She pushed away and started to limp off by herself. It took Lucas all his strength not to go and run after her but he knew now wasn't the time. It hurt him so bad to know she thought he didn't care about her. And he was going to prove to her that he did care, some how, some day. He was going to prove it to her.


	27. Peyton's Way

Peyton laughed as she watched Erick run around with his new present from his grandpa, a puppy

Peyton laughed as she watched Erick run around with his new present from his grandpa, a puppy. It was a tiny German-Sheppard and Erick decided to call him King. He was running around the dog was chasing him and Erick was trying to teach him to simple commands, sit, stay, speak.

"Okay King, sit." Erick told him and the puppy didn't listen he just ran off to the nearest chew toy and Erick laughed and chased after him.

"Seems like he really likes the dog." Larry sat down next to Peyton handing her some lemonade.

"He loves it, he was always trying to make me buy him one." Peyton told him. Larry kept staring back and forth at Peyton and kept opening his mouth to say something but then kept closing it. Peyton could see him in the corner of her eye and took a deep breath. "What do you want to ask me dad?"

"What makes you think I want to ask you something?"

"Because I know you, now what?"

"I think you know sweetie." Peyton remained silent. "I haven't brought it up in two weeks, and neither did you. I have to know."

"There is nothing to know."

"The boy needs a father Peyton."

"Why? We have been doing fine so far dad. He loves me and he has you know why does he need to know the truth? Why does he need to know all the horrible stuff I have done?"

"Peyton.."

"When he is older I'll tell him and he can make that decision for himself, but for now it's my call and I say he is fine how he is."

"Well what about Jake?"

"Jake has a new life now dad."

"So I take it you called him?"

"Yeah, and his wife, or girlfriend or whoever she was answered the phone."

"What did she say?"

"She really didn't' have a chance to say anything because I hung up before I said anything."

"What about.."

"Lucas? You can forget that too, he has his own life as well."  
"Peyton.."

"What do you expect dad? For me to walk up to the two of them and be like 'hey guys haven't seen you in forever, by the way you may or may not be the father of my child'"

"Something like that." Larry responded.

"Dad." She rolled her eyes. "Erick and me are fine. Now if you don't want us here then that's fine but enough about this father talk."

"Of course I want you to say Peyton, I also just want the best for Erick."

"I'm his mother, and I know what's best for him."

"Okay." He nodded, knowing he wasn't going to get through to her. He laughed out loud when he saw Erick fall on his butt when the dog ran right through his legs. Larry ran over and picked up Erick and started to spin him around and Peyton laughed. Of course she was listening to her father and took what he said seriously but she also had to do what she thought was right. Erick was her baby and right now the way things were, were just fine for her. Erick didn't' need a father and Peyton certainly didn't need to face the past any time soon. So for right now they were okay, and that was okay with Peyton.


	28. Boy did she miss it

Peyton smiled nervously as she looked at the house before her

Peyton smiled nervously as she looked at the house before her. She always knew Nathan Scott was going to be living in some great big house one day, but this was much nicer then expected. She rang the doorbell but there was no answer, so she rang again. Peyton didn't think he was home but she wanted to make sure so she rang once more and then knocked.

"It's 11 in the morning what the hell do you want?" an annoyed voice asked above.  
Peyton looked up and saw that he was talking through a window, and she smiled. "The Nathan Scott I remember was up at dawn and by eleven o'clock was already halfway through the day."

There was a pause and then she heard footsteps and the door opened. He was obviously just sleeping and he had on basketball shorts and no shirt. "Nice bod." She joked.

He was tired, but smiled at her anyway and gave her a hug.

"How are you Peyton?"

"Great. How about yourself?"

"Tired, some annoying bitch kept knocking at my door at eleven and woke me up."

"Well you know what I would do if I was you?"

"What's that?"

"Invite her in for breakfast."

Nathan smiled and led her in and started to make egg's and bacon.

"So by the looks of this place I can see you aint doing so bad."

"Your right about that." He answered.

"Beautiful house Nathan."

"Thanks."

"So how have you been?"

"Alright I guess."

Peyton smiled. "I can see you're quite the chatter box in the morning." She half joked.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "It's just that I really.. never mind." He smiled.

"Don't talk to as many people as you used to?"

He looked up at her.

"What Nathan I know we must have dated like what a zillion years ago, but I still can read you pretty easy."

He smiled. "You always could. But yeah your right, I keep to my self a lot these days."

"So I'm guessing no girlfriend?"

Nathan visibly tensed up and for a moment Peyton thought she crossed the line but he just shook his head. "No, no girlfriend."

"Me either." She told him.

"You don't have a girl friend either?" he joked and she threw a rag at him.

"I meant a boyfriend you idiot."

"Really you're still single? I thought you'd be married and have some kids by now."

She smiled. "Nope."

"Here you go." He handed her a plate of eggs. "Enjoy."

The two smiled and enjoyed a light conversation while they ate their breakfast.

"I can't believe your back."

"I can't believe I'm still here." Peyton told him. "Trust me it wasn't the plan, I just had some difficulties back at home so it looks like I'm here for a while."

"That sucks but it's still good though. I bet you are meeting up with a lot of old friends."

"hmm yeah it's been great, Brooke hates me, it's totally awkward between me and Lucas and H.." Peyton stopped talking when she was about to mention Haley and Nathan looked away.

"Want to hear a secret?" Peyton asked him.

He looked up at her.

"I haven't even gone to see her. You are the only one I've actually hung out with and talked too. I mean I talked to Lucas at the funeral but that was it."

"Why haven't you seen her?"

"I'm afraid she would hate me. Brooke had no problem laying it out here I just; I didn't want to hear it from Haley to. So I'd rather just think what I think then actually have to hear it from her."

Nathan was hesitant but still asked.

"What would she hate you?"

Peyton looked at him and how vulnerable he seemed.

"For leaving. For never calling. For never coming back until now."

Nathan just nodded.

"I'm sorry Nathan."

He didn't say anything.

"As good of a friend as I was to her I was your friend first, and I should have called."

"Whatever." Nathan shrugged.

"I mean I had my own problems sure but… I still had other friends to worry about. I'm sorry and I do mean that."

Nathan nodded.

Peyton, as she said before, knew him all to well and she knew he understood her and decided it was time to change to subject.

"So I was watching basketball the other night and I saw that one guy totally make like fifty points."

Nathan's mood instantly changed as he let out a laugh.

"You watch sports now?"

"Hell yeah, kinda, sorta, okay so I was watching it during a commercial of sex and the city but it was pretty good."

Nathan let out a laugh and Peyton laughed with him. This is the Nathan Scott she remembered and missed. She missed talking with him, laughing with him, just being his friend. She was happy to start to have that back again, because it felt pretty damn good.


	29. the decision

Brooke looked up and her breath was taken away from her

Brooke looked up and her breath was taken away from her. She looked at herself in the mirror but couldn't see herself. She was supposed to see a beautiful women dressed up in an extravagant and expensive gown. She was supposed to see the women wearing it, gleaming with love, pride, and excitement. She was supposed to see a women in love, about to marry the man where her heart belonged. Instead she saw a lost and frightened girl. She saw someone who knew she was about to make a mistake. She saw someone that was not in love, but afraid.

"_What am I doing." She stared at herself. Brooke sat down on the nearby chair and looked at the ring that was given to her. The ring that was given to her so passionately by a man that was completely in love with her, the man that promised to be a good husband, the man that promised to love her forever. And he would, he definitely would. Jerry was always a great guy and Brooke knew that he would live up to his word, the only problem was that she knew she wouldn't be able to live up to hers. _

_She thought back to the day he had first asked her to marry him. It was a rainy afternoon and the couple had just gotten home from the park. They had gotten coat in the beginning of the storm and were all wet. They didn't care though, the two of them laughed about it and made love in their bed for hours. After they were done he simply looked at her, promised he would love her forever, and gave her the ring and asked her to be his wife. Brooke was indeed shocked, not by the fact that he asked her because she knew that was coming. The thing that shocked her is that the moment he asked her and slipped the ring on her finger, Lucas Scott appeared in her head._

_Brooke barely remembers saying yes. She remembered just seeing Lucas face. He wasn't smiling, nor frowning but simply just staring at her. Piercing her with those eyes that she would remember forever. _

_Brooke continued staring at the ring as her heart kept beating faster. She didn't mean to jump when her mother knocked on the door. Alexa and her mother entered with smiles on their faces.  
"Are you all ready sweetie?" Her mother asked._

_Brooke nodded._

"_Everyone is just about ready, do you need help with anything?"_

"_No, I'm okay."_

"_You look so beautiful sweetie."_

"_Thank you." Brooke smiled and hugged her mother._

"_Everything is going to change now sweetie. You are no longer going to be a Davis. You are going to be a_ _Benson."_

_Brooke didn't say anything back, but just looked at her mother as she walked out the door._

"_hey are you okay?" Alexa asked her._

"_I'm fine."_

"_You look like you are about to hurl."_

"_I'm fine!" She snapped._

_Alexa raised her eye brown and stepped out of the room, grabbing Brooke's purse on the way out. "You'll be needing this." She whispered under her breath. _

_Brooke looked out the window and saw that none of the guests were outside. They were all in the church awaiting her arrival. They were all waiting for her . _

"_I can do this, I can be Brooke Jenson." She told herself. She turned around and saw herself in the mirror once more and she knew in her heart what she had to do. She didn't even bother to think, or talk to anyone, or grab anything. She picked up her dress and ran to the doors of the church as fast as she could and ran to the nearest bus stop, and that is the beginning of how everything changed._

"Brooke. Brooke, Hello!" Alexa jumped on Brooke's bed and started to shake her.

"What!" She snapped.

"You have been sleeping forever, get up you lazy bum."

"Shut up I can sleep in if I want."

"No you can't let's go shopping."

"NO I don't feel like it." Brooke yawned as she got up and washed her face. "I had a dream about the wedding." She told Alexa

"You mean the almost, supposed to be, never happened cause you ran out wedding?"

"Shut up." Brooke threw a towel at her.

"Are you okay?" Alexa asked.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Are you sure, you look like you are about to hurl."

"Dude." Brooke smiled. "Shut up."


	30. Once And For All

Brooke looked up and her breath was taken away from her

Peyton smelled the bacon and pancakes in the air as she woke up. She smiled as she made her way down stairs and saw that the house was very neatly picked up, the food was all set on the table and that Erick and her father were standing there waiting for her.

"May I ask what this is all about?" She smiled.

"For you mom." Erick hugged and kissed her. "Sit down we made a lot."

"Okay what do you want?"

"Nothing sweetie, this is just for you."

She eyed the suspiciously and sat down at the table.

"We have chocolate chip pancakes, lots of bacon, and a side of strawberries. Just the way you like it." Erick sat next to her as they all started to eat.

Peyton couldn't help notice her son and father looking at each other quite often during the meal. They kept smiling and Erick kept looking at his grandfather with big eyes, as if he was telling him to do something.

"Okay I'm not eating another bite until you tell me what's going on."

Larry took a deep breath. "Well sweetie."

"Oh god, here it comes."

"I got a call."

"What kind of call?"

"A call from the people at the boats."  
"Let me guess they want you traveling again?"

"Well.."

"Yes or no?"

"Yes."

"What did you tell them?"

"Well.."  
"Yes or no?"

"Neither?"

"What did you tell them?"

"I said I would, if I could bring my grandson along." He blurted out.

Peyton looked at the two of them and started to laugh. "You are joking right?"

"It's only for a few weeks mom." Erick told her.

"Okay, your not joking."

"It's safe I promise. We only have to travel and go and deliver food to those countries. Peyton this will be an amazing experience for Erick."

"NO, no , a million times no." Peyton told them.

"But mom." Erick started.

"No. Don't you say another word."

"I'll have him back before school." Her dad told her.

"Don't you try and make me look like the bad guy here dad, I can't believe you would even ambush me with this."

"We aren't ambushing you."

"Yes you are. You are asking me to put my child into danger and you are asking me not to see him for weeks!"

"Only three mom!"

"I told you not another word young man!" She hollered at him. "You expect me to not see you for three weeks!"

"What do you care anyway?" He yelled back.

"Excuse me?"

"You never take me anywhere anyway. And when we do go out you always try to hide me like you are embarrassed."

"Erick I would never be embarrassed of you."

"Yea right, ever since we moved here you have been acting weird. You don't even love me anymore."  
"Erick."

" I hate this place mom! I have no friends and I'm so sick of always playing in the stupid back yard with King all of the time." He threw his napkin on the table and ran upstairs.

"Where the hell was that from?" Peyton asked her dad.

"I'm sorry Peyton."

"Did you know how he felt?"

" Yea, which is why I suggested this."

"I'm not embarrassed of him, you know that right?"

"Of course I do Peyton, but imagine how he feels. I know you have to be careful right now but it has to be sooner rather then later. You just keep putting it off. Eventually people around here are going to know you have a son."

"I know."

"Let me take him, you clear your head for three weeks, figure out what you want to do."

"I've never left him, not even a night."

"Then maybe this will be good for you, you know I would never take him if it was any real danger. He will love this."

"I know he will." Peyton cried.

"You will have time to figure this out Peyton, once and for al, and I'll show him a good time."

"I'll miss him so much."  
"We'll call everyday."

Peyton looked at her father and shook her head yes. He smiled and ran upstairs to tell Erick. Peyton knew this was probably for the best, but her heart was still aching. She was going to miss her little boy, but this also meant that now finally she was going to have to face her past once and for all.


End file.
